John, Paul, George and Ringo are iconic, their body of work is historic, and their legacy as a band is integrated into the fabric of American culture. There are few, if any, names in entertainment that are more hallowed, and few histories that are more time-honored. Which begs asking, why risk desecrating The Beatles [ tickets ] by dragging their name through the kitsch, camp and overblown grandeur that all too often defines the Las Vegas landscape? "Love" answers that question. And does so profoundly.

The latest Cirque du Soleil [ tickets ] offering to take residency in the neon jungle of the Las Vegas strip, "Love" opened its doors to the public July 1, 2006, and occupies a custom-built, fully-mechanized, 2,013-seat theater-in-the-round in The Mirage. While the Cirque du Soleil name is hailed as the class and pinnacle of Vegas theater, a few questions have followed the productions opening months: How Soleil's high-flying aerials and form-defying acrobats would mesh with The Beatles, how long-time Beatles producer Sir George Martin and his son Giles would morph The Beatles, and how the two components would meld together.

In short, the results are transcendental.

The Beatles were magically minimalist in their musical approach, their profound songwriting offering timeless vehicles for their poetic and melodic genius. While some may find any adaptation of their original recordings to be sacrilege, Sir George and son did a masterful job of mutating the band's original Abbey Road recordings for "Love." Classic songs were given neo-classic, technologically-adept enhancements, their cores remaining unhindered, but buoyed by a remixed depth that sent sonic shivers through their structural spines.

Cirque du Soleil, in turn, worked within the framework of those songs, using the history of The Beatles to acrobatically render the social and political climates that their music soundtracked. From the tumultuous and explosive rooftop setting of "Get Back" and beyond the dynamic and larger-than-life characters that graced the stage through "Eleanor Rigby," the onstage color and flair offered a sensory overload to match The Beatles on "Ed Sullivan," their mania at Shea Stadium, or the psychedelic swizzle and swirl of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Bungees were integral to the show, as they were climbed and repelled on opener "Because," propelled birds about the stage and into the crowd on "Blackbird" and offered flight to airborne muses during "Come Together." A full-blown carnival sideshow atmosphere engulfed "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" which culminated in a jaw-dropping swing trapeze routine before mop-headed rollerbladers navigated half-pipes on "Help!" From the white-cloaked cocoon of "Within You, Without You," into the underwater embrace of "Octopus' Garden" and beyond the gleefully aloof "Lady Madonna," The Beatles were brought to life in a magnificent and relevant splendor.

As engaging as the Cirque du Soleil performances proved, and despite the sonically astounding nature of the 27 musical acts, neither outshined the other. In fact, it was the sheer brilliance of their adjoining attributes that far outshined any single song or acrobatic display.

In hindsight, if all we truly do need is love, there may not be a better template for this production than Las Vegas. In a city where false hope shines like a beacon, The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil have united to let "Love" light the way. Hope has never sprung more eternal.

ACTS
"Because"
"Get Back"
"Glass Onion"
"Eleanor Rigby"
"I am the Walrus"
"Rock ‘n' Roll Run"
"Abbey Road"
"Gnik Nus/Something"
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"
"Help!"
"Blackbird"
"Yesterday"
"Jam Session"
"Strawberry Fields"
"Parade"
"Within You, Without You"
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
"Octopus' Garden"
"Lady Madonna"
"Here Comes the Sun"
"Come Together"
"Revolution/Back in the USSR"
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
"A Day in the Life"
"Hey Jude"
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
"All You Need is Love"

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