Michael Jackson ONE Show Las Vegas Review!

Updated: Aug 25, 2023

Recently I went on a trip to Las Vegas and saw the Michael Jackson ONE Show by Cirque du Soleil at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. At my dad's suggestion, my parents and I went to see the show, as he had seen it twice before and really enjoyed it. Also, he thought since I love dance so much that this would be the perfect show to watch while I was there. The show I ended up seeing was held at the 9:30pm show, as there are multiple times on weekends. He advised me that we should take some photos and buy souvenirs beforehand as it gets really busy after the show once people get excited from seeing it. I'm so glad we did that, because even though we arrived early and took photos and I bought a t-shirt and postcard, the previous show ended shortly after and it was a zoo! Thankfully, I was able to get some photos taken beforehand, as you can see down below.

The tickets can be fairly expensive depending on which day, time, and section of the theatre you plan on picking. The price ranges from $80-$210+US, but tickets can fluctuate. While there are places such as TKTS that sell tickets on the day of, the price for this show rarely changes or sells out, so it's really up to you.

As for when doors open, they usually open about 30min prior to the show starting, where you'll then go through security and bag checks, as well as ticket scanning. The security is one of the more thorough ones I've been to, so make sure to bring only what is necessary, as checking large bags can take up a lot of time. From there, you'll enter into the main area before heading into the theatre where they have fake paparazzi who will randomly take photos of you. To the right of you, will be a photo area where they will take photos of you on the red carpet and you can purchase at the end of the show. This can take some time and closes up closer to the starting of the show, so if you'd like to take a photo (they took four for us, as there were three in our party) try to show up early. The woman who took the photo for us was really nice and took great photos, so my dad decided to buy them as a memory keepsake. The cost of the photos are quite expensive, so if you'd rather take your own photos instead, you can skip this section.

A tip for those of you who arrive early once you take a seat inside of the theatre look to the sides of the screens where they have magazine covers, as those will be the pictures of randomly taken earlier where your photo will be displayed. It's a nice touch and a reflection upon the type of fame Michael Jackson experienced, as the photos taken are at random, definitely not at your best, and off guard, as well as bright flashing lights, crowding, and numerous people talking at once. Once in the theatre there will also be fake paparazzi going up to random audience members before the show starts crowding them and asking questions with microphones and taking photos to give a sense of what Michael Jackson experienced. This generally occurred for audience members on sitting in the aisle seat.

Also, about 15 min before the show starts they'll have four actors running around the theatre looking for seats and going up onstage, so if something seems a bit odd then it's probably one of the actors performing. Once the show started it was spectacular! The show played all of his greatest hits from 'Thriller' where they had dancers portraying zombies, "Bad", "Beat It", "Smooth Criminal", "Human Nature", "Black or White", "PYT", and so much more! (For more info on the music you can find the set list on Wikipedia). They had acrobats in the above the audience in the air, fireworks, flames, bungee cords, tightropes that the dancers jumped off, ziplines, juggling, trampolines, acrobatic routines, confetti, aerial silks, and fake snow. They used a variety of dance styles from hip hop, jazz, pole dancing, heels, and of course his signature dance moves such as the moonwalk.

The storyline was really cool, as it had the four actors from the start of the show discovering four of his objects: his glove, shoes, glasses, and hat. One of my favourite parts of the show was when the dancers went behind a see through screen and they projected a video of Michael Jackson himself dancing with them. They also used techniques that you may have seen on America's Got Talent from the group "Light Balance" where they dance in suits with lights in the dark. As well as a shadow dance projection dance similar to what can be seen on America's Got Talent by "Blue Journey" for the song "Earth Song". After having seen these techniques online or TV it was so cool to finally see it in person, and I do have to say it was amazing!

Throughout the show they also danced in the audience, had two dancers moonwalk on the side walls in the dark with lighted suits, and used a variety of sets and props. They also had flashy costumes intermixed with props related to Michael Jackson such as the Elephant Man, and had a singer float from the ceiling as Mother Nature on a moon platform. Another interesting part of the show was where they had a dancer pop out of a treasure chest who did locking and popping, as well as a dancer with one leg performing hand stands and dance moves using his crutches.

Another integrative element they used was having Michael Jackson's props move on their own mechanically such as his gloves and shoes. I was surprised at how well these props were able to move across the stage and how the suitcase automatically opened on time with a dancing shirt behind it!

In total, the show was about 1hr 50min long and I would definitely say that it was worth it and I'd highly recommend seeing this show! Perfect for those who are fans of Michael Jackson, lovers of dance, or who just want to see a terrific show! It was a great homage and celebration of his greatest hits, and I think I'm not the only one as there were floods of audience members after the show buying merchandise and taking photos outside.

Another tip: walking near the entrance and inside of the main area look at the window displays as they have Michael Jackson memorabilia such as his official red jacket from an MTV awards show, his gloves and shoes, emails and letters written by him, as well as his suit and hat.

Watching the show was definitely a highlight for me during my short weekend trip to Las Vegas, especially given the amount of dance routines I've done to Michael Jackson music and all of the influences he's had in the media. From the times where we did the dance to "Thriller" for Halloween in my jazz class one year and wore zombie makeup to dance recital routines. Also, watching dance movies such as "Centre Stage" where they do the signature red pointe shoe dance to his song, "The Way You Make Me Feel", as well as featured on shows/movies like "Glee" and "13 Going on 30", the list is endless. His influence on dance and music was quite significant and seeing his legacy in the show, it only makes me wish I could have seen one of shows live when he was still around. However, I also see the troubling times that he had and even the tiny glimpse of the fake paparazzi for audience members showed the intrusive nature of the business and the lack of humanity that is considered in fame. While I understand it's a part of the territory, I can only imagine how draining that can get over time day in and day out. It definitely made me appreciate anonymity a whole lot more!

Overall, the show was incredible and is definitely a must see. Thanks so much for reading this very long article and I hope that this helps you plan your trip to see the show and that you enjoyed this review! Also, a big shoutout to my parents for taking me and recommending the show! Happy dancing :)

Here is the link for tickets at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino: ticketmaster.ca

Here is the link for the trailer for the show: youtube.com