Jackson hired concert magician Ed Alonzo to create two illusions for the concerts, including one set to the singer's hit single "Dirty Diana" that featured a flaming bed with a pole-dancing aerialist.
Alonzo said he had not spoken with Ortega or anyone at AEG about carrying on work with the production but is open to the idea. "Nobody has talked to me about it, but I would be happy to do something like that," Alonzo said.
Contrary to an earlier report by MSNBC, Madonna has not agreed to take part in a Jackson memorial concert. "Madonna's management has not been contacted about this and are unaware of it," her publicist Liz Rosenberg said.
Such a tribute would follow a precedent set by other superstar performers who have continued to have an impact on popular culture with new work from beyond the grave. Since the 1996 shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur, six albums of previously unreleased studio music have been unveiled -- nearly all of them topping the national album chart or hip-hop and R&B chart.
And in 2006, Cirque du Soleil launched its popular theatrical revue "The Beatles: Love" in Las Vegas, a theatrical spectacle involving dance, film and aerial acrobatics that "reimagines" the music of the Fab Four. It continues to run there.
Ortega added: "I hope there's a way to be able to still make that happen for Michael. He was so in love with this project and involved in the creation of all of it. This is some of his greatest work for sure."
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chris.lee@latimes.com
