Synopsis

A Shared Determination

Formula One car racing seems an unlikely backdrop for the Beatles and Cirque du Soleil® to first make contact. But George Harrison and Cirque founder Guy Laliberté met at Grand Prix events and discovered a mutual passion for motor sports. Out of those encounters grew friendship and the idea of bringing together the most popular music of the 20th century with the world’s greatest circus performers. Cirque du Soleil would meet the Beatles, in a noble experiment – one in which both partners would agree to share creative control for the first time ever.

Sadly, George Harrison passed away before development began. But Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, were determined to pursue the venture. ALL TOGETHER NOW tells the story of this bold collaboration and the resulting live show.

We Can Work It Out

Artistic endeavours are periodically fraught with a climate of tension. This project was no exception. But patience and compromise became the order of the day. And, as Paul McCartney says at one point, “We understand, we’ve been at this a long time too.”

The first step for Sir George Martin, the band’s legendary producer, along with his son Giles was to delve into the archives, accessing and digitising the original multitracks of the Beatles recordings. Then, in a secluded room at Abbey Road Studios, father and son began conjuring up a fresh musical canvas by experimentally reshaping the original mastersinto a soundscape that would form the backbone of the show.

The soundtrack, the first Beatles album available in 5.1 surround sound, would go on to win two Grammy Awards.

Show Director Dominic Champagne then went to work interpreting melody and lyric to fashion a daring performance of acrobatics, dance and even extreme sports. LOVE now plays to enraptured audiences at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas 10 times a week.

Come Together

Gémeaux Award-winning Director Adrian Wills, known for his sensitive portrayal of artists and their work, documented the adventure. Travelling between London, Montreal and Las Vegas, his team tracks the human story behind the production of LOVE — from its beginnings in the studio to its historic opening night.

Inspired by the energy of cinéma vérité, ALL TOGETHER NOW presents dozens of revealing incidents and encounters. Using archival material as well as intimate interviews with Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, Sir George Martin, Giles Martin and Dominic Champagne, this feature-length documentary is a privileged glimpse of the artistic process from within the creative circle.