One of the most striking components of the show is the ever-changing backdrop provided by designer Francis Laporte's dazzling projections. "I make certain references to the graphic techniques of the '60s, but I am using digital technology," Laporte explains. "LOVE evokes the world of the Beatles and therefore connects with the imagination of the audience. So I tried to find ways to make the connection timeless by recalling time-honored techniques such as watercolor, which I used like a painter."

In addition to the set elements visible to the audience, there is a highly sophisticated infrastructure at work above and below the auditorium. There are nine lifts and eight automated tracks and trolleys that can simultaneously move 24 props, set elements or performers, and provide 140 different ways to put a performer in the air.

By integrating the lighting, projections, acrobatic equipment, and sound design, Jean Rabasse has created the ideal space in which to present the music of the Beatles and the performances of the Cirque du Soleil artists. And for Rabasse, the central and constant role of his design was always to serve the music. "You can create true theatrical magic using simple techniques, and when it's integrated with the sound system that Jonathan Deans has created for LOVE, the result is an experience that is completely immersive and totally involving," he says.

Jonathan Deans says the fact that LOVE is based on the music of the Beatles posed a huge challenge beyond the usual demands of designing the sound for a Cirque du Soleil show. "With the Beatles' music, the audience arrives forearmed with a deep knowledge of the music and the sound has to meet and exceed their expectations," he says. "The difference is that in other shows, the music is arranged specifically for the show and it can be developed in any way we like, to suit us. It doesn't matter that there are 6, 341 speakers in the theatre or that each seat is fitted with three speakers. The technology isn't there to impress, but to make sure that the overall experience of hearing the Beatles' music in this show is like nothing the audience has ever heard before."

Paul McCartney has come to Vegas to witness the full spectrum of the show elements, but the headline act, so to speak, is the Martins' soundtrack played back through the sound system created by Deans. Between cuts, everyone nervously strains to hear the McCartney verdict.

For once, the master lyricist is almost at a loss for words - until he finds the adjective he has been looking for: "It's pristine," he tells George Martin.

And it is.