Michael Jackson HIStory statue to be unveiled at Mandalay Bay
The Estate of Michael Jackson, Cirque du Soleil’s MICHAEL JACKSON ONE and Mandalay Bay invite the public to join cast members of the popular and critically acclaimed show for the unveiling of Michael Jackson’s HIStory statue at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in Mandalay Bay’s main lobby.
The ceremony will include the unveiling of the statue, a performance by cast members of ONE and photographs with the artists post-performance. Also expected to attend: Jerry Nadal, senior vice president, Resident Shows Division at Cirque, and Darren Davis, Mandalay Bay vice president of Entertainment.
The performance will be to “Scream,” the first single from the “HIStory” album created for this event by cast members. In 1994, Jackson commissioned U.S. sculptor Diana Walczak to create the statue, which became the inspiration for the cover of his fifth solo album “HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book 1.” The album became the biggest-selling multiple-disc album worldwide. The 10-foot-tall statue was featured at stops on Jackson’s “HIStory Tour.”
On loan from the Estate of Michael Jackson, the statue is the third piece of memorabilia to be lent by the Estate for display at Mandalay Bay. The other two pieces, Jackson’s red-and-gold military-style jacket from the 1984 American Music Awards and a pair of black loafers and crystal-encrusted white socks, are on display adjacent to the MICHAEL JACKSON ONE boutique.
An additional historic Jackson item from the Estate will be revealed Aug. 27 to kick off a three-day birthday celebration planned for The King of Pop inside the ONE theater. This will be the fourth-annual celebration organized by the Estate and MICHAEL JACKSON ONE for Jackson’s birthday. Jackson died June 25, 2009, in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles.
