The final performance of the original version of Jubilee! at Bally’s Las Vegas will be held on January 30 as the show begins its transformation to an updated version under the direction of choreographer Frank Gatson Jr. The show is scheduled to reopen in March 2014.
While the show is dark, Gatson will be working hand-in-hand with the cast and crew of Jubilee! to bring a fresh new twist to the production while staying true to the spirit of the original show. While the best of the show’s main elements will be preserved as a nod to the past, including the signature costumes and a number of the most iconic sets, the choreography, staging and music will be refreshed for today’s audience.
Auditions across the country to find new singers and dancers will be held over the next several weeks, with cities including New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
“It has been amazing getting to know the cast and crew of Jubilee!, who night after night bring the idea of an amazing Vegas show to life for thousands around the world to see,” Gatson said. “I am excited to continue working with our existing cast and crew, as well as new singers and dancers I hope to find over the coming weeks, to modernize Donn Arden’s masterpiece.”
With more than 30 years of experience under his belt, Gatson has provided direction for commercials for brands such as L’Oreal, American Express, Pepsi and Samsung, and has collaborated in several movies including “Living Out Loud,” the famous “Respect” number with Aretha Franklin in “Blues Brothers 2000” and characters in the Disney movie “Hercules.”
Since the days of Destiny’s Child, Gatson has been by superstar BeyoncĂ©’s side, transforming her image and developing iconic moves like the hand gesture from “Single Ladies.” In 2012, Gatson was nominated for a Grammy for co-directing BeyoncĂ©’s “I am… Tour,” which became the best-selling music DVD of 2010.