Remaining Beatles gather to celebrate 10th anniversary of Cirque du Soleil’s Love show

Revamped with more personality and better tech, the musical continues the legacy of perhaps the most famous pop band of all time

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Published: 12:02pm, 24 Jul 2016Updated: 12:01pm, 24 Jul 2016

The performance of Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles Love show ended as most of the 4,500 performances over the past decade have: a packed house of 2,000 gave a standing ovation for the dozens of cast members, who took bows while traversing the circular stage at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Suddenly, however, the cheering grew even louder as ticket holders responded to an exceptionally rare coda to the show. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr stepped onstage at the conclusion of the July 14 official 10th anniversary celebration of the hit collaboration between the French-Canadian circus troupe and the band that famously “changed the face of pop music”.

“Thank you all for being here,” McCartney, 74, said after a spotlight illuminated him and his former bandmate, the surviving members of the Fab Four, accompanied for the event by John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison’s widow, Olivia Harrison, as well as several other family members and friends who took in the performance. “This new version of Love is beautiful.”

Paul McCartney with some of the cast and crew of The Beatles Love.

He was referring to a recently revamped rendition that now boasts technical and other enhancements that weren’t possible 10 years ago.

Not to disappoint the numerous Beatles fans young and old in the house, McCartney and Starr bantered playfully with each other and with the fans. “I loved watching,” Starr, 76, said with an easy laugh, and both expressed their pride and gratitude to the performers who bring the show to life each night.