[The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"]
My name is Taras Shevchenko.
I perform as the character of the fireman in "The Beatles LOVE" show
playing at the Mirage Hotel & Casino.
I was born in Moscow, Russia, former USSR.
I was a second-generation circus performer.
My dad was actually in, uh-- in the circus when I was already born.
Since I was a kid, my dad trained me, uh, in different circus disciplines.
Stretching, tumbling, even juggling,
and being born in a traditional circus kind of helped me
to accumulate all those different skills that help me to do what I do today.
Thanks to him that I'm still being able to perform in front of so many people
on--on a daily basis.
all: [singing] Help [singing] I need somebody
all: [singing] Help [singing] Not just anybody
There was a casting call that Cirque du Soleil was having,
so I acquired whatever footage I could get.
You know, doing flips in the backyard,
you know, doing anything that can get their attention.
Then I was invited to an audition in February, 2003,
and then I--I was on the constant, like-- I really want to join this company
because Cirque du Soleil in general, it's not only circus,
it's an entertainment company.
There is acrobats, dancers, martial artists.
In our show, we have skaters.
We have so many different varieties,
and that is something that really attracted me.
So they called me in to go to Montreal in 2003.
I spent a year and a half there helping to develop a new act
that was gonna be for a new show.
We opened a new touring show,
and then after three years, I was fortunate enough
to get offered a contract to work at "The Beatles LOVE."
Dude, it is the Beatles, all right?
I grew up with them, my dad grew--grew up with the Beatles,
and that music was just engraved, so to be able to perform for this show
and--and every time hearing the Beatles' songs,
man, you--you can't really ask for anything better than that.
[The Beatles' "Come Together"]
Shoot me
A lot of people in the company, they either come from sports
or they come from circus, circus discipline.
For me, I am, like--if you can call it, I'm being, like, a hybrid.
I've never actually done sports on a really professional level,
nor have I done a certain circus discipline on a professional level,
but when I joined Cirque, I was basically, uh, you know, an open--
like--an open clay.
I said, "Here I am.
Just--just mold whatever you need out of me."
["Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" resumes]
[all singing]: Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Ah...
Las Vegas is home to first-class entertainment.
If you wanna see the best shows out there, they happen in Vegas.
Why should they see "The Beatles LOVE" show?
This show's the only official partnership that is out there anywhere in the world,
and it is in Las Vegas.
I perform with this unique, uh, prop-- unique equipment
that was actually specifically, uh, designed for this show.
This equipment is a 1,500 pound, uh, steel ladder that has two wheels on it,
and what it does-- it has a balancing factor to it.
You don't really see this anywhere else,
and to be given that opportunity to perform it
and to--each time to perfect the skills,
that's something that you're striving for.
One of the most interesting things about the show
is that there's a lot of backstage choreography
that happens during the show.
Artists are changing costumes, wardrobe technicians are help--
are helping those people to change the costumes.
There--props technicians, they're helping move props
from one side of the stage to another side of the stage,
so there's a constant action that happens.
My most favorite aspect of what I do
is affecting an audience member.
When you're looking into their eyes at the end of the show,
you see that they're smiling and they're full of energy,
they're full of vibrancy.
You know that you've done your job.
That is the best thing that you can ask for
because if--if something that you can do personally--
if your skill can affect them in the really positive way
and they leave with that thought and they keep on thinking about that,
like, you can't really ask for more than that.
["Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" playing]