Photo Credit: Michael Jackson Estate
MJ the Musical is headed to Broadway this year, with opening night set for February 2022.
MJ will star Ephraim Sykes in the role, depicts the pop star and his collaborators rehearsing for the 1992 Dangerous tour. The show will not focus on Michael Jackson’s personal life or any of the personal scandals highlighted in the Leaving Neverland documentary.
Christopher Wheeldon will direct and choreograph the musical, which will feature a score of Jackson’s hits. Producers Lia Vollack Productions worked hand-in-hand with The Michael Jackson Estate to develop the musical.
MJ the musical was originally set to begin its Broadway previews in July 2020.
But the coronavirus pandemic soon shut down Broadway and its shows. Now that Broadway is opening back up, a spate of musicals based on musicians will premier on Broadway.
The Bodyguard is a new musical adapted from the Whitney Houston film about a pop star who falls in love with her body guard. The stage musical was originally presented in London and toured North America in 2017-2018.
Meanwhile, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill musical will re-open at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre in October. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is returning to Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in October as well.
“I am thrilled that our musical will be re-opening on Broadway,” Turner says in a released statement. “I remember with such warmth and appreciation the extraordinary welcome I received at our Opening Night. It felt like a homecoming. I know the role my story serves; I hope the re-telling of it is inspirational, a reminder of our capacity for resilience and a celebration of our ability to overcome adversity together.”
Broadway got the go-ahead to re-open from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last week.
The musical scene will re-open in September at 100% capacity, with classic shows and more announcements coming. You can check Playbill for more information about the announced Broadway shows that will be appearing in 2021 and 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic knocked thousands of actors, singers, dancers, and performers off the stage. Their professional livelihoods and financial circumstances were thrown into disarray. It’s predicted that the shutdown cost the industry more than $14.7 billion, and more than 100,000 jobs were impacted by the shutdown.
Many Broadway performers ended up leaving New York City in search of other opportunities. That has led some musical enthusiasts to worry about a possible talent drain from those who remained in NYC for Broadway to re-open.
Title kind of puts the play in a negative light. Why should the play mention the scandals? It’s focusing solely on the music without glorifying Jackson. On the other hand, society does glorify Elvis (who was known to sleep with teenagers) and Bowie (who was accused for a number of similar wrongdoings). Their music is celebrated without mention of their scandals. Just saying it’s possible to continue to appreciate the music and dance in a public setting.
Agreed
“personal scandals highlighted in the Leaving Neverland documentary.” Really??! The scandal was that those two men HAD ALREADY been caught lying in court. The judge HAD ALREADY said “no rational trier of fact would believe it”. They lost their case then decided to make a TV show in which they conveniently didn’t mention they were caught lying, and the muppets in the news media gladly reported as though the film was credible when in fact it was anything but credible. A documentary should have a duty not to misinform viewers, and the press should have a duty to not misinform readers.
Michael Jackson was a monster who used his power and influence to destroy children’s lives in the worst way imaginable.
Why are we celebrating this scum of a person?
Spoken like someone who really doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Can you prove it? No. Has anything ever been proven? No. Yeah, you’re a real smartie.
Imagine that—theater people celebrating a pedophile. Of course, MJ was part of their child-raping tribe.
I see the anti-MJ brigade are out in full force, yet again.
The same hypocritical scum who idolize actual paedophiles Elvis Presley, David Bowie and Gene Simmons but draw a line at an innocent, dead black guy.
Fuck America, land of white privilege.
I see the anti-MJ brigade are out in full force, yet again.
The same hypocritical scum who idolize actual paedophiles Elvis Presley, David Bowie and Gene Simmons but draw a line at an innocent, dead black guy.
Fuck America, land of white privilege.
7yea that dirtbag did rap kids