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The Michael Jackson Musical: 'MJ'

jasmine.uddin said:
Thanks for the in depth review. I wonder if MJ fans experience the show differently to the average person, since fans subject knowledge is greater when it comes to MJ. I can certainly imagine this being the case with the biopic, so I wonder whether it was a factor in your experience of the show?
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Yes, it sure was - this and the Monk-thing 😄. I will give you a example what I mean with that:

When Michael dances, every move makes sense in that exact moment he makes it, you can just feel that. He kicks with his leg or moves his hand exactly when it fits the beat/instrument/lyrics of the song, it just makes sense.

The musical actors did all the moves really well, but (partly) made them at times where it didn't make sense (to me). This alone is something that is disturbing to me - and I don't want to be rude here, It just feels wrong to me at that moment. And these things sum up.

I know it's not their job to copy everything 100% and I am also aware that they work really hard and put everything they have into the show. That's why I feel bad writing that. But it's just to explain what I mean. And don't worry, I am annoying myself with these quirks a lot 😅.
 
someplace_else said:
So, I thought about what to write and it's really hard to find the right words here. Contains some spoilers, of course:

First of all I have to say, the actors were great, and the show itself was pleasing to watch. I loved that they put little details in there which made it very personal (e.g. the writings on the curtain):

View attachment 7416

I tried to read as little as possible about the musical before I watched it, so I was a little...surprised when there was a lot about Michael's personality in there and about his thoughts/feelings etc., I expected it to mainly focus on his music. On one hand I think that is a positive thing, also because they put some details in there that maybe some people didn't know. So eventually that will make them think differently about Michael. It was very good depicted how the media and his father put endless pressure on him. On the other hand it was quite...heavy this way and I expected a fun show, so that's why I still think about if I liked the musical or not so much.

I think it's great that they also used songs which are not as well-known, the costumes were very accurate.

I didn't like (and that is mainly because I have a little - or big - Adrian Monk living inside of me):
  • The dance steps were mixed, sometimes not like in the original songs
  • The speaking voices of the "Michaels" were too soft, they almost whispered, I found that a little...too much/weird
  • The singing voices of the "Michaels" were not sooo pleasant for my ears
  • Some songs/performances were too short
  • They had the Toaster 😮 but didn't do the Lean like wtf 😅
I really don't want to discredit the show, it was great, super atmosphere, but I didn't feel Michael's soul in there, if that makes sense... but maybe that's just me.

My mum loved it, we also watched Lion King, she said she liked the MJ musical better. My first place would be Lion King, I nearly cried - mainly because of the actress for Rafiki (Bongiwe Malunga) she did such an amazing job, like...wow...funny af, breathtaking voice, I was really overwhelmed and I didn't have that in the MJ musical.

BUT nevertheless it was a great show and maybe I am just too Monk-ish 🙃. The actors really put a lot of work in there and analyzed and understood him as a human being, that is what I liked the most.
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Really interesting read. Thanks for posting.

I have zero interest in seeing the musical but I'm glad it's doing well. The reservations you had about it, those are my own reservations about the biopic and why I most likely won't go to see that either. Which doesn't mean I think it shouldn't be made. I want it to be a massive success and I hope people have a fabulous time watching it. But I can't see myself going and the points you've made here are part of that.

someplace_else said:
[... ] there was a lot about Michael's personality in there and about his thoughts/feelings etc., I expected it to mainly focus on his music. [...]
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This bit was especially interesting.

someplace_else said:
I think it's great that they also used songs which are not as well-known, [...]
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:)
 
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someplace_else said:
Yes, it sure was - this and the Monk-thing 😄. I will give you a example what I mean with that:
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Thank you so much for your detailed answer, and for all the photos you provided in your earlier post. You give a great sense of what the experience was like. The musical is extremely successful, even though you found some things slightly off, do you think it is worthy of being an award winning show? And lastly, what was the general vibe amongst the rest of the audience?
 
someplace_else said:
[...] When Michael dances, every move makes sense in that exact moment he makes it, you can just feel that. He kicks with his leg or moves his hand exactly when it fits the beat/instrument/lyrics of the song, it just makes sense.

The musical actors did all the moves really well, but (partly) made them at times where it didn't make sense (to me). This alone is something that is disturbing to me - and I don't want to be rude here, It just feels wrong to me at that moment. And these things sum up.

I know it's not their job to copy everything 100% and I am also aware that they work really hard and put everything they have into the show. [...]
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oh god, having one of those days! This is the one I meant to reply to as it sums up my thoughts about the biopic. I did enjoy the other post - it was great - but this was the one that summed up my (unease? low-key reservations?).

someplace_else said:
[...] When Michael dances, every move makes sense in that exact moment he makes it, you can just feel that. He kicks with his leg or moves his hand exactly when it fits the beat/instrument/lyrics of the song, it just makes sense.
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This bit most especially. I don't feel that I really need (or want) anyone's interpretation of Michael. Other people are fine with it and that's great. But I just think, 'I can watch Michael for real. I'll just do that!' :D

Every move Michael makes, every note he sings makes sense. Watching him makes perfect sense. That's all I need. 🩷
 
jasmine.uddin said:
Thank you so much for your detailed answer, and for all the photos you provided in your earlier post. You give a great sense of what the experience was like. The musical is extremely successful, even though you found some things slightly off, do you think it is worthy of being an award winning show? And lastly, what was the general vibe amongst the rest of the audience?
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You are welcome 😊. I cannot decide if it is worthy of being an award winning show because I am too biased. The audience had a very good time, especially the Billie Jean performance with the Moonwalk got a big applause, of course. I would definitely give them an award for the work they put in there and for giving me the feeling that they understood Michael as a person, not just as an artist because you don't see that very often and it meant a lot to me. Also the stage design was great at many points, didn't mention that.

zinniabooklover said:
But I just think, 'I can watch Michael for real. I'll just do that!' :D

Every move Michael makes, every note he sings makes sense. Watching him makes perfect sense. That's all I need. 🩷
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True. Maybe I also expected too much because I never had the opportunity to watch Michael live and I hoped to get a glimpse of how that must have felt like. But to me it was more like "ok, nice show, I had a good evening" when I expected goosebumps and not being able to take my eyes off "Michael", but that's something you only get when you watch the real thing. We're spoiled - like you always eat at a 5 star restaurant and then you get a real good pizza but it's just not the thing, you know 🙃.

People, watch the musical, they deserve the success. Just don't expect Michael.
 
It's great to hear your review and experience with the musical! The show is obviously great and I've been thinking about going to see it myself, because I love musicals and hopefully this one too 😊

I had someway quite similar experience when I was watching the tribute show. ”Michael's” speaking voice in particular was way too soft and it even annoyed me because I didn't think it was necessary to try to imitate every single thing…

Do you want to tell more about how his personality and thoughts were brought out? What was the best moment in your opinion?
 
Circusgirl said:
Do you want to tell more about how his personality and thoughts were brought out? What was the best moment in your opinion?
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For me, personally, I liked a scene very much when he gave a press conference and told the interviewers about his Dangerous Tour and that he wants to raise a lot of money for charity and that this is what he is all about and then they bombarded him with silly questions about surgery and other well-known accusations and dumb stories and noone was interested in what he said before, that was well done. Hard to explain, there were a lot of visual aspects, too in that scene that really made you feel the pressure. And some scenes with his father were displayed very good.

That's also what I mean with "they understood him as a person", they showed all the pressure that was on him and that many people, especially the press, weren't interested in the facts but in making up dumb stories.
 
someplace_else said:
that is what I liked the most.
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Thank you sooo much for this. You're one of the only people on here who has actually spoken about the musical and given personal opinion and intelligent insights. Really appreciate it.
 
R1chard said:
Thank you sooo much for this. You're one of the only people on here who has actually spoken about the musical and given personal opinion and intelligent insights. Really appreciate it.
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I think there are some insights from other members, too, just many pages before this one :) - you're welcome.
 
someplace_else said:
For me, personally, I liked a scene very much when he gave a press conference and told the interviewers about his Dangerous Tour and that he wants to raise a lot of money for charity and that this is what he is all about and then they bombarded him with silly questions about surgery and other well-known accusations and dumb stories and noone was interested in what he said before, that was well done. Hard to explain, there were a lot of visual aspects, too in that scene that really made you feel the pressure. And some scenes with his father were displayed very good.

That's also what I mean with "they understood him as a person", they showed all the pressure that was on him and that many people, especially the press, weren't interested in the facts but in making up dumb stories.
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Okay, now I really understand that it wasn't just fun entertainment, but also went into some pretty hard times in his life. It's great to hear that that scene was well executed and I hope that this has brought more understanding to the general audience as well 🙏
 
Circusgirl said:
Okay, now I really understand that it wasn't just fun entertainment, but also went into some pretty hard times in his life. It's great to hear that that scene was well executed and I hope that this has brought more understanding to the general audience as well 🙏
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Think the wider audience are wanting to hear the songs, and watch the dance moves, while it's okay to touch on some personal subjects it is after all titled mj the musical. People work hard spending money for theatre tickets, not sure they want to sit through the dark side of things, there is a movie( hopefully) for people to get a better understanding of his life. And whilst the cast work fantastically and do there absolute best, will they ever capture the real michael? Maybe not but his legacy lives on for people to enjoy
 
Saw the Mj musical did not blow me away music show was good the story garbage joe was presented as a tyrant Mj as pill addicts not worthy for Mj legacy thriller live musical was much better
 

"Welcome to our latest episode of “Getting to Know You”, where we showcase fresh faces in the UK theatre scene!

In this edition, we visited the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End, where Jamaal Fields-Green is currently making his West End debut as the titular character in the WhatsOnStage Award-nominated MJ the Musical.

From his childhood in The Bronx in New York City to meeting his fiancé during his time in the Chicago production of Hamilton to becoming the first performer to play the role of MJ on Broadway, on the US national tour and in the West End, Fields-Green takes us on a whirlwind trip through his life in the video.

He is set to take to the stage of The London Palladium this coming Sunday for the 25th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, but why not get to know him a little better in the meantime?

MJ the Musical is penned by Lynn Nottage (Sweat) and directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon (An American in Paris). Set during rehearsals for the 1992 Dangerous tour, the piece explores Michael Jackson’s life through interviews with a visiting crew from MTV.

The production also features scenic design by Derek McLane, lighting design by Natasha Katz, costume design by Paul Tazewell, sound design by Gareth Owen, projection design by Peter Nigrini, and hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe. Musical supervision is by David Holcenberg, and the orchestrations and arrangements are by Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb. UK Casting is by Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher."
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1947396934710309022

https://twitter.com/x/status/1944828695782547551

Laurence Fishburne, Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC and SZA visit the cast of MJ The Musical
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MJ the musical london extension ( february 2026), and goes on uk tour ( 2027)

MJ the musical to launch international Asian tour ( october 2026)( 2yrs)!!!

MJ vibes.
 
fairypoweredproductions.com

MJ THE MUSICAL | UK & International tours announced as award-winning musical confirms final extension in London * Fairy Powered Productions

MAJOR UK & INTERNATIONAL ASIAN TOURS ANNOUNCED AS THE TONY & OLIVIER AWARD WINNING MUSICAL CONFIRMS FINAL EXTENSION IN LONDON PERFORMANCES AT PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE THROUGH UNTIL 28 FEBRUARY 2026 www.mjthemusical.com London, Friday 25 July 2025: The hit West End production of the internationally...
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London, Friday 25 July 2025: The hit West End production of the internationally acclaimed musical MJ will make a final extension to its run at the Prince Edward Theatre in London, with performances booking through until Saturday 28 February 2026. www.mjthemusical.com

The show, which won the Olivier Award for Best Choreography as well as being nominated for the prestigious Best New Musical, will follow its two-year London run by embarking on a major UK Tour in 2027, bringing the electrifying production to audiences across the country.

At the same time, the musical also announces today the first ever international Asian tour of the global sensation, set to launch in October 2026 and travelling to major cities around the world for an initial two-year period. Both UK and International Asian Tour details will be revealed in the coming months.

The UK and International Asian Tour announcements mark further milestones in the continued global success of MJ, which has been experienced by more than 5 million people through its acclaimed productions on Broadway, in London’s West End, Ham
 
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