Behind the dazzling performances of “Michael Jackson ONE” in Las Vegas is a talented team responsible for the show’s unforgettable hair, makeup, and wardrobe.
The show, inspired by Michael Jackson’s iconic life, feature designs that help bring the energy, glamour, and spirit of the King of Pop to life on the stage.
Veronica Vazquez, Head of Wardrobe and Kerry Lacy, Lead Wig and Makeup Technician for “Michael Jackson ONE” by Cirque du Soleil, sat down with The Blast for an exclusive chat about what goes into the show that many people never get to see or hear about.
‘Michael Jackson ONE’ Celebrates MJ’s Life With Song, Dance, And Iconic Looks
Sequins shimmer, fedoras tip, and glittering gloves catch the spotlight in Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson ONE” in Las Vegas. The hit production at Mandalay Bay doesn’t only celebrate the King of Pop through music, dance, and acrobatics, it also recreates his legendary style through show-stopping hair, makeup, and wardrobe.
Behind the scenes, a skilled team works hard to capture the spirit of Jackson’s most iconic styles while designing a look that can handle the nonstop energy of a Vegas stage spectacular.
Veronica Vazquez, Head of Wardrobe for “Michael Jackson ONE” brings decades of live entertainment experience to one of the city’s most dynamic productions. A former trapeze artist with formal training in theater and costume technology, Vazquez built her career around the artistry that brings large-scale shows to life.
Kerry Lacy, Lead Wig and Makeup Technician for the production, is a creative force in Sin City’s live entertainment scene. She began her career as a professional dancer on the Strip before channeling her artistic passion into hair and makeup. Previously the Hair and Makeup Supervisor for Disney’s “The Lion King” North American Tour, Lacy also leads the wig and makeup department for the Las Vegas Aces High Rollers Dance Team.
A Look At The Behind-The-Scenes Of ‘Michael Jackson ONE’
Veronica explained that Cirque du Soleil is something that is instantly recognizable thanks to the “dramatization” and the “live entertainment” that’s not “traditional circus.”
“I think for the very first time, we saw circus elements done in a very theatrical, dramatic, cohesive way. Where in the past, if you go to a traditional circus, it’s very act oriented, so very skill oriented,” she told The Blast.
“I was a trapeze artist, so we were always in leotards and were always in tights, but then your elephant trainer, he was going to be in very different fabrics that are very tailored to him. And what I think Cirque does really well is they find a way to make it all make sense in the storyline where we hadn’t seen that before in traditional circus.”
Cirque du Soleil Makeup Has To Withstand The Elements For Multiple Shows A Night
In high-energy productions such as “Michael Jackson ONE,” and other Cirque shows, the makeup has to work as hard as the performers do. Designed to withstand sweat, stage lights, nonstop movement, and even water, each look is carefully crafted to stay camera and stage ready through two electrifying shows each night.
“Layer upon layers upon layers,” Kerry said. “For ‘Michael Jackson ONE,’ our thing was making sure we were able to see the facial features with the makeup in fedoras and headpieces. So a lot of our makeup has glitter and rhinestones and those were done intentionally to reflect off the floor of the stage onto the artists so you can see their faces and it illuminates under the hats and headpieces.”
For productions like Cirque du Soleil, makeup is applied using a layering technique designed to withstand the demands of live performance. The process begins with a full cream base – often in bold colors like red or blue – which is then set with powder. After the initial layer is sealed, artists add a coordinating powder color on top, such as red over red or blue over blue. This layering method helps to lock the makeup in place, allowing it to maintain its vibrancy and durability through sweat, water, and the physical intensity of performing two shows.
Because there are 70 performers in the show, each has to take on the task of doing their own makeup.
“We create whatever character they’re going to be. I pull that character makeup design and we create it on the artist,” Kerry explained. “I do the step-by-step – basically each brush, each tool, each product where to put it. And we have books that are curated for the artist. So we go through that step and then go through a minimum of three coachings. I’ll do one side, the artist will do the other, and then they would do both sides and initially kind of graduate to do it on their own.”
Special Consideration For Wardrobe That Can Last A Lot Of Wear-And-Tear
When the wardrobe entered the chat, The Blast was told that surprisingly, costumes hold up pretty well for all they go through each show.
“I don’t know what number of shows we are as far as Cirque, but we’re like 40 years into this so I would hope by 40 years, we could figure out what fabrics work best,” Veronica said. “It’s really going to boil down to the fabric choices that you use. And also being very honest with designers.”
She further explained that if a performer is going to be on his/her knees a lot, it’s helpful to make costumes in sections so just one section can continually be replaced without the need to alter or replace the entire costume.
“As the show evolves, it’s our job to kind of look at where we find those opportunities, and then we can always come back and customize a pattern,” she continued. “So then the next time it’s built, it’s built to last longer because now we’re just having to replace little sections. I think Cirque is really good at that. But it all does boil down, in my opinion, to the fabric choices and the construction and knowing what acts are going to be performing in it.”
So what material typically works best for this type of show? “Spandex and blends, whether it be cotton blends or lycra blends,” Veronica shared.
“So lycra is our best friend and it’s also evolved a lot,” she continued. “Our warrior pants is a really great example. They look like tailored jeans or tailored pants, but they’re a lycra.”
Thriving During High-Pressure Moments To Keep ‘Michael Jackson ONE’ Moving Right Along
In a fast-paced production such as “Michael Jackson ONE,” wardrobe emergencies can happen at any moment. Quick repairs and unexpected costume issues with zero notice can and do happen, so the wardrobe team is always prepared to troubleshoot and resolve problems as quickly and safely as possible.
Veronica and Kerry both said they “thrive” in the stress of a last-minute fix or change.
“That’s kind of what you sign up for when you are doing live theater. Those are the things that make you like, okay, I am kind of good at this,” Veronica shared. She added that the first thing they have to assess is if they can make the repair quickly and safely to get the performer on stage. If a repair could possibly jeopardize safety in any way, they will ask for the performer to be cut from the number instead of risk something happening.
“When it has to do with a shoe or something like that, pretty much, we want to make sure that the repair is done as safely as possible. We don’t want to be rushed either, because the last thing we would want is for anyone to injure themselves,” she continued. “We have kits upstairs that have pre-threaded needles, because safety pins can pop open, so unless we can do it by hand, unless we can stitch them up by hand and sew them into it, all these factors are going to play on whether we just say cut them from the number.”
It sometimes happen with wigs, too. Kerry shared a story of when an artist with an armband on got a stud caught in her wig and ripped the whole front of her wig off.
“I got the call and had to run upstairs and take a new wig and get her out of the ripped, damaged on,” she said.
For more information on “Michael Jackson ONE” at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, visit their website.