Las Vegas Weekly

November 3, 2009 · 2:36 PM

Is Michael Jackson ‘live’ show coming to Las Vegas?

By Robin Leach

Michael Jackson appears in London to announce his final concerts in the British capital in March 2009.

Photo: The Associated Press

New state-of-the-art, cutting-edge holographic technology could be used to bring a “live” Michael Jackson show to the Strip. That’s the incredible plan being proposed and developed by a concert promoter who worked with the King of Pop.

The proposed Las Vegas residency, which would have a live-action, full-body, three-dimensional image of Michael onstage solo or alongside singers and dancers, comes on the heels of this past weekend’s $100-million-plus global haul for This Is It. (The docu-movie grossed $23 million alone in the U.S.)

Says New Jersey promoter Patrick Allocco: “This would become This Is Now. It really could be billed as Michael Jackson Live. Real singers and dancers could perform live around the holographic image.”

The technology would allow the creation of a 3-D Michael Jackson dancing and singing image from the This Is It rehearsals footage and other video. Patrick says it would be simple for members of the Jackson family and other entertainers to perform duets with the holographic figure that could be maneuvered to perform any of Michael’s catalog of music.

It’s believed that Michael built up a library of 100 new and unreleased songs. That includes material he recorded here at the studio inside the Palms when he lived in George Maloof’s casino resort for nearly three months. Patrick says Michael told him about the new catalog when they were planning European tour dates. He says it could be used in conjunction with the holographic image.

Patrick is suing the Jackson estate after being shut out by them of the European tour plans. He hopes it can be settled amicably so he can proceed with the holographic plans for Las Vegas. Meantime, he has tested the technology with other music groups, and it’s been a success.

We’ll continue to monitor this story as it develops over the coming months and ascertain if the executors of Michael’s estate will release his likeness for the proposed Las Vegas show.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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