Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” Tour
The Dangerous World Tour was the second world concert tour by Michael Jackson as a solo artist, covering United States, Europe, South America and Asia from June 27, 1992 to November 11, 1993. The tour, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, included 69 concerts to 3.9 million fans. All profits made from the tour were donated to various charities including the Heal the World Foundation.
The tour was staged and designed by Kenny Ortega, working directly with the late Michael Jackson.
The stage required an extensive amount of time to set-up. Equipment, which in total weighed over 100 tons, required two Boeing 747 jet aircrafts and multiple lorries to transport to each venue.
Some examples of the many stage illusions are : Each concert on the tour ended with a stuntman, Kinnie Gibson, who secretly switched with Jackson as he kneels down a trap hole in the stage, dressed in a full astronaut costume (therefore appearing as Jackson), flying out of the arena using a rocket belt. Each concert also began with a illusion-like stunt dubbed "the Toaster" in which following the ringing of bells and the roar of a panther, Jackson catapults on to the stage through a trap door in the front, sending off pyrotechnics and electrifying the crowd. When Jackson walks into a small space between two set "buildings," he secretly switches with a werewolf-masked backup dancer while he changes for Billie Jean. The backup dancer posing as Jackson is placed into a coffin which disappears when dancers posing as skeletons and zombies drape a cloth over the coffin and pull it out. Jackson appears fully dressed for Billie Jean in the upper stage level as it lowers down.
During the tour’s second leg in 1993, Jackson decided to end the tour due to illness.
All concerts were professionally filmed by Nocturne Productions, Inc. Just one concert, from Bucharest on October 1, 1992 was broadcast on television across the world. This was released officially on DVD called Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour.
