London is used to having a Michael Jackson themed show running in the West End, with Thriller Live running for over a decade. Broadway, on the other hand, was a little more shocked when MJ The Musical opened at the Neil Simon Theatre, perhaps because it came hot on the heels of the Leaving Neverland documentary, which again levelled sexual abuse accusations against the King of Pop. Despite the reservations, it was largely a success and now transfers to London’s Prince Edward Theatre.
MJ The Musical is very different to Thriller Live, and focusses much more on the narrative of Jackson’s life, family, and troubled success. But it’s also a sanitised version of the story; the Michael Jackson Estate have been heavily involved in the creation of the show, so numerous scandals are glossed over.
This is achieved by setting MJ during the rehearsals for the 1992 Dangerous World tour. With a book by Pulitzer Prize winning Lynn Nottage, the story is told via an MTV journalist, Rachel (Philippa Stefani) and her cameraman, who have been invited by tour manager Rob to document preparations for the upcoming tour.
It’s not a complete case of rose tinted spectacles though; we can see Jackson relies on painkillers, the tour is in financial difficulty and there’s the merest hint of the scandals that had already emerged, “Who is this family he wants to bring on tour” asks a frustrated business manager. It also shows Jackson as a perfectionist, agonising over every aspect of the upcoming shows.
MJ, which is what the team call him, starts to unburden himself on Rachel. A series of flashbacks tell the Michael Jackson story from the inside perspective. Starting with the early days and a young Jackson with his brothers as the Jackson 5. On then to the teenage Michael and his solo success, before bringing us back to the 1992 present day.
MJ is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, more known for work in ballet. It seems appropriate then that the opening scene is a choreography rehearsal for the tour, and from there the incredible dance numbers never disappoint. There’s one absolutely beautiful scene where we see how Jackson was influenced by the likes of Fred Astaire, Bob Fosse and the Nicholson Brothers. It’s done to perfection.
Wheeldon’s staging is also impressive. The large studio, where tour rehearsals are taking place, simply melts away to allow the flashback scenes to happen, then without you even realising, we’re back in the studio. It’s most definitely one of the best choreographed sets we’ve seen in the West End.
The characters in the rehearsal room also morph into the characters that are needed for the flashback scenes, it’s an effective way of maintaining those seamless traditions. The best example is with tour manager Rob, who also becomes Michael’s father, Joseph. In an astoundingly good performance from Ashley Zhangazha the two characters are separated by just a hint of a physical change.
Derek McLane’s scenic design is grand and spectacular, but also manages to tell an intimate story. When combined with lighting design from Natasha Katz, MJ The Musical is a visual spectacle that has the audience in a state of awe throughout.
This is of course, by definition, a jukebox musical, with at least 30 Michael Jackson hits featuring in some shape or form. It’s done brilliantly, and recreations of some of those biggest hits such as ‘Thriller’ and ‘Billie Jean’ are genuinely goosebumps inducing. But more than that, MJ The Musical is probably the best example of how storytelling can be done well in this genre of musical.
The role of Michael is split, with a young actor wonderfully portraying Michael’s early days, and Mitchell Zhangazha playing the teenage and young adult Michael. Zhangazha is incredible, and the medley scene where he takes us through the release of the the Thriller album is enthralling.
But it’s Myles Frost who leads the cast as MJ. Frost is reprising the role from the Broadway production, and it’s clear why producers would have pulled out all the stops to make that happen. Frost looks and sounds every bit the part, with step perfect choreography that makes us forget we’re not watching the real deal.
This effect isn’t just down to Frost’s performance; Paul Tazewell’s costumes look like they could have been shipped in directly from Neverland, those iconic looks replicated so perfectly that the infamous sequinned glove got a round of applause all on its own.
There’s no getting away from the fact that Michael Jackson, though never convicted of anything, has become a controversial figure, but still commands a huge following and a musical legacy that can probably never be beaten. MJ The Musical does shy away from the more sordid allegations, but does effectively explore his troubled childhood at the hands of a demanding father, and paints Jackson as that impish Peter-Pan-like character; the boy who never grew up.
The deliberate story omissions aside, MJ The Musical is an all out sensation, the atmosphere in the Prince Edward is electric, and from the cast, to the staging, perfection is achieved in every sense, just as Michael Jackson would have demanded.
