The cast of MJ The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre in LondonBy any measure, Jackson was a brilliant creative force, whilst also being a fundamentally damaged individual. The show attempts to explain the quirkier aspects of the man’s personality and shine a sympathetic light on the behaviours which grabbed headlines throughout his career, by means of frequent flashbacks to his early life as the show progresses. These includes early issues with his demanding father Joe and the family’s first forays into the world of fame as The Jackson 5, formed in Indiana in 1964.
Central to the icon’s story, is Jamaal Fields Green as MJ. His placating soft tone talking about love and kindness while rehearsing the show until it is perfect, is instantly recognisable. There’s something otherworldly in the breathy high pitched tone. When his stage manager Rob (Matt Mills who also doubles as MJ’s domineering father Joseph) introduces a documentary film maker Rachel (Philippa Stefani) and her cameraman (Matt Gonsalves) to the rehearsal space, it adds a frisson of tension and acts as a catalyst for other elements to surface. Chief among these are concerns around MJ’s punishing work schedule, pill-taking and the financial implications of his last minute introductions of ever greater stage effects, costumes changes, technical set pieces and the wages bill required to service those elements.
Virtually every major hit song (and several minor ones) is revisited during the course of the show, when the younger Michael is played by Mitchell Zhangazha and his mother Katherine is delivered with panache by Koko Alexandra. All of director choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s dance routines are landed with a crispness of line, with nods at the distinct periods in a career covering multiple style eras. Notable movers on the evening I attended, were Hanna Dimtsu, Filippo Coffano, Aden Dzuda and Buna McCreery-Njie in a company which was universally strong on technique.
Visually sharp, the show’s technical design team Derek McLane, Natasha Katz, Paul Tazewell and Peter Nigrini deserve special mention for filling the wide Prince Edward stage with interest. Equally deserving are the music and sound contributors David Holcenberg, Jason Michael Webb, Gareth Owen, and Sean Green. Most of all, perhaps thanks for the astounding back catalogue should go to Jackson himself. In this day of cancel culture where rabid internet speculators seem incapable of differentiating between a creator and his/her output, this show serves as a timely reminder that without flawed creatives, the world would be a mind-numbingly dull and dispiriting place. From a fan’s distance, I may have found Jackson creepy and slightly weird, but when Off the Wall, Man in the Mirror, Billie Jean and Ben enter my head, I cannot but hope that the man’s deeply troubled soul is finally at peace.
