Prince Edward Theatre, London – until 28th February 2026
Reviewed by Phil Brown
3***
According to the programme, Michael Jackson (MJ) has sold 1 billion records, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and his 1982 album Thriller (the sixth) is the best selling album of all time. What happened to Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough… ?
Now, we have the Michael Jackson Estate approved MJ The Musical – a 2+ hours blockbusting examination of Jackson’s preparations for the 1992 Dangerous World Tour (27 June 1992 – 11 November 1993) which went on to gross well over $200 million in today’s money. MJ was at the peak of his career by then – the true King of Pop. And to be fair, he was making significant philanthropic interventions which get several mentions in the course of the show.
As other reviewers have commented – this show is criminally smooth, but for me, impressive as it is, it’s no thriller. The creative team has really thrown the kitchen sink at the production (director – Christopher Wheeldon) – wonderfully realised staging and sets (scenic designer – Derek McLane), glittering costumery (Paul Tazewell), lush orchestrations (Jason Michael Webb) and the most extravagant use of neon this side of Las Vegas (lighting designer – Natasha Katz). And the performance on the night was immaculate with top notch dance routines and signature moves executed to perfection (choreography – Christopher Wheeldon), well delivered vocals, and fine musicianship (music director – Sean Green). In particular the MJ lead actor (the effortlessly masterful Jamaal Fields-Green) carries the show superbly. His song and dance is dazzling. It’s undoubtedly a visual and sonic spectacle, but this multi Tony award winning musical nevertheless falls below expectations and on occasion veers dangerously (no pun intended) towards tedium.
There probably isn’t a single reason for this, but ironically it felt like some soul has been sacrificed for cleverly packed content (40 songs are listed!) and general on-stage hyperactivity, especially in the first act. And whilst the rehearsal room context implies pressure on all performers, the show seems to be a serious joy free zone rather than a full on celebration of Jackson’s music.
Whilst I’m reasonably familiar with MJ’s career and hit records, I don’t know his music in any depth, and it’s pleasing the show has been so revelatory with respect to the quality of MJ’s songwriting. The choice of songs is excellent but it is frustrating that (a) some are just short snatches rather than full performances, and (b) they are not even listed in order of performance in the programme. Some reprise of songs takes place across the two acts.
There is a certain logic to staging the show in the rehearsal room – it’s the obvious place to roll out an artist’s catalogue without necessarily having robust linkings, however, almost by definition it introduces a repetitive element to the show. In addition, there is a “device” in the form of a small press crew trying to make a documentary of the famously press shy MJ during the rehearsals. Whilst their probing introduces an element of jeopardy for Jackson around his pill usage, it eventually fizzles out and you wonder whether it was just an unnecessary complication.
There isn’t much of a narrative arc to the story either. A fair portion of Act 1 covers back story, although The Jackson 5 is covered in slightly perfunctory fashion with three songs (The Love You Save, Want You Back and ABC) sung (and danced) delightfully by “Little Michael” (Benjamin Miglioli on the night).
We learn that Michael’s Dad Joseph (brilliantly played by Matt Mills) is a seriously tough task master (“you want more than cabbage on your dinner plate, you gotta earn it” and “my hand ain’t nearly as heavy as the world gonna be on your black ass when you step out of line”). This sequence was followed by one of the show highlights – a terrific duet (I’ll be There) between “Little Michael” and his Mum Katherine (the hugely talented Lydia Sterling on the night).
This leads to segments about MJ’s split from Motown’s Berry Gordy and subsequent collaboration with Quincy Jones across the three key albums that propelled him to superstardom – Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). Confusingly, a teenage Michael Jackson (well played by Mitchell Zhangazha) appears during these segments singing You Can’t Win, I Can’t Help It, Keep the Faith, and Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (another Act 1 highlight) and is sometimes on stage at the same time as the older MJ.
Back in the rehearsal room, MJ has inherited his father’s insecurity/perfectionism and work ethic, proving to be every bit as relentless a task master as Joseph. In particular, don’t plan on confronting him with problems, bring him solutions. He needs his team to say “yes” to him without fail (it’s his favourite word). None more than his financial controller Dave (Michael Conley) who rather like Charlie Ireland in Clarkson’s Farm is always the bearer of bad news about the venture’s finances. The back and forth on MJ’s quest for perfection and the resultant costs is a recurring theme which wears somewhat thin.
Act 2 improves on Act 1 with a clearer trajectory – less timeline and personnel confusion, less repetition and more highlights, opening with two sparkling set pieces – Billie Jean, and Smooth Criminal. It covers MJ’s fireworks accident when shooting a Pepsi commercial (“I don’t even drink Pepsi”) resulting in severe burns, surgeries and pain killer dependence, before moving onto a prolonged closing sequence of several more show stopping songs of which Human Nature, Bad, Thriller and Black on White were particular highlights.
Despite my reservations, MJ The Musical is still a good night out, but potentially frustrating for die-hard MJ/jukebox musical fans. I left full of awe and admiration for the teams of people involved in putting together and performing such a rich and well drilled show – MJ would have been proud of the precision and attention to detail – I was disappointed by the scattergun and abbreviated approach to the music and the complexity and repetition involved in the story telling.