‘The Beatles Love’ at The Mirage ‘has found a rebirth of creativity’

To celebrate the production in its milestone year, there will be a star-studded red carpet leading up to the performance. Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, wives of the late John Lennon and George Harrison, will be among the celebrities honoring the show.

Also expected on the red carpet: Dominic Champagne, Giles Martin, Nappy Tabs, Mira Sorvino, Ron Howard, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Harrison, Kevin Dillon, Ron White, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, Arlene Phillips, Joe Walsh, Dot Jones, Mark Foster, Daniel Platzman, Ben McKee, Chris Holmes, Christopher Backus and Nastia Liukin.

Check out my Q+A with Dominic Champagne, LOVE director, and Chantal Tremblay, creation director, posted in February. Here is a guest column by Scott Moreau, Johnny Cash in MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at Harrah’s, about his friend Ben Stephenson, head carpenter of LOVE.

By Scott Moreau

In the fall of 1997, I was a freshman at Illinois Wesleyan University. As I traversed through the winding walkways of The Mirage to meet an old friend of mine a few weeks ago, a distinct and vivid memory hit me. I was working strike (as though I had a choice; it was required) for INTO THE WOODS, the first show of the year at IWU.

I have a very clear recollection of two things: my friend Jim throwing up beside the loading dock because of the gallons and gallons of spoiled milk-based paint he was asked to empty, and Ben Stephenson moving around the shop like he was a professional. He was a sophomore.

Nearly 20 years later (and looking not a day older), he is the “guy behind the guy” making things happen behind the scenes at THE BEATLES LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage.

Think you know all there is to know about The Beatles? Think you have seen LOVE? Think again. The new incarnation of one of Cirque’s most innovative and popular shows has found a rebirth of creativity. And Ben, head carpenter, has been monumentally important in the rethinking of this Las Vegas Strip favorite.

As the 10th year of LOVE at The Mirage looms tonight, with rumored appearances by Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison and the late Sir George Martin’s son Giles (who was handed the Apple Corp. Ltd. torch well before his father’s passing), the folks at LOVE could not be more excited for the public to see what has come to fruition in the new show.

I’m proud to say that my fellow IWU alum Ben has quite a bit to do with that. Late on a Friday evening, Ben walked me through the vast passageways that comprise the backstage of LOVE. Along the way, he pointed out countless illustrations of the show’s evolution, reincarnation and rebirth.

Through a rethinking and reconceptualization of the “Revolution” portion of the show, the red London phone booth center stage has been replaced by a full-sized Volkswagen van. Custom made by a company in Portland, Ore., the van features a custom top made by none other than my buddy Ben and his team.

“I’m pretty sure this is the only 1967 acrobatic VW van in existence. One of the biggest design challenges was that I actually designed and built this large acrobatic mat here on the roof,” Ben told me. “It had to match the roof of a VW van because it’s so iconic.

“It was a challenge to build that into an acrobatic mat that would hold its shape night after night and also to be the proper density and tension for the artists doing their tricks. Not to mention the need for it to be safe for them, as well.”

Not to be left out, the amazing performers who perform on the massive skate ramp each night have received an update: Their ramp has been resurfaced with the highest-quality material money can buy, the same material that covers every competition skate ramp in the world. It allows them to do higher and more difficult tricks and give the audience yet another thing to ooh and aah.

The Beatles’ involvement in the show not only adds to the show’s authenticity, but also there are just certain things you can only know if you are a Beatle.

“One of the things that has always been a feature of our show is a multi-sensory experience. During ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ you actually have an olfactory sensory experience that fills the room, along with our audio and visual experience,” Ben continued.

“That was originally done with some incense that comes out on moving trains of light that were remote controlled and driven out onstage. Now it’s a spray that goes into the fans spotlight operators spray. The reason for the change was The Beatles said to us, ‘That’s not the right smell. That’s not what it smelled like when we met with the Maharishi. This is what it smelled like.’

“And to have that first-person experience from them and input into the show is why I think we have been successful all of these years. Because you’re not getting a tribute show here. You are getting part of their legacy, their life. They are telling their story through us. And, in that way, I feel a lot of pride to be a part of it.”

The chance to meet members of the greatest rock band ever, creative challenges at work every day and hearing some of the greatest songs ever written in surround sound around every corner seems like a pretty good gig to me. Ben gets satisfaction from all of the above. But it doesn’t end there.

“The first song we ever heard in this room 10 years ago was ‘Strawberry Fields.’ It was George and Giles who played it for us. Then we heard them talk about ‘Strawberry Fields.’ We heard it through this amazing sound system with nothing else going on, then they told us exactly how it was recorded.

“This drumbeat is from this song, and this dog barking is from this song, which was insane. To have that input is inspiring. But along with that, the reason I have stayed here this long is that I think we are adding to The Beatles’ legacy as a band.

“I think their music is extremely important to the world, and with the work we are doing here we are really doing something good. It’s affecting people and generations, and I’m proud of that.

“My grandmother knows who The Beatles are, and my son who is 5 knows who they are, and I think the marrying of those two worlds is amazing. Having Yoko, Olivia, Giles and George here, we’ve heard the stories from them. We’ve been given the knowledge to know what we are doing and why it’s important.

“I walked out of the show one night, and there were three women of three generations in the same family. One of them was holding a picture of what I would assume was the patriarch of the family who had passed on. They were taking a picture in front of the LOVE sign out front; I was just blown away. We affected family tonight, and to know that feels really good.”

Check back Friday for our red carpet photo and video coverage from Tom Donoghue and Richard Corey, respectively, along with A+E Editor Don Chareunsy’s report of the 10th anniversary festivities.