'MJ,' the Michael Jackson Musical, Is a Thriller on Broadway

Michael Jackson courted musical greatness as well as a lot of controversy in his career, and MJ the new Broadway musical is putting a lot of the former and some of the latter into a thrilling new show that will certainly excite his die-hard fans and a lot of casual ones too.

One might reasonably expect a paint-by-musical-numbers bio about Jackson, but with a book by Lynn Nottage that just doesn't happen. She has never phoned in so much as a sentence in any of her plays, and here she gives us smart dialogue and strong, well-developed characters. She captures the Michael Jackson who had the drive and the talent to tap into whatever the pop music zeitgeist might be, from the soul and disco eras through—and most especially—the MTV era, which he dominated. There were good music videos before 1983, but "Thriller," revolutionized the genre. Now, videos had stories and could be long form, and they could certainly be art.

Perhaps in an attempt to avoid some controversy, MJ is set during the preparations for the Dangerous World Tour in 1992, a year before allegations against Jackson of inappropriate behavior came to light. Jackson was never convicted and denied all such allegations, and MJ is no descent into the netherworld of Neverland.

Generally speaking, it's probably not a good idea to conflate art with the artist. You'd miss out on a lot of great works, from Caravaggio's to the ancient Greeks'. In the long run, it is best to concentrate on what is on the stage, and what is on stage at the Neil Simon Theatre is a complex, high-powered profile fueled by some of the greatest music hits of the last half of the 20th century.

This is not to imply that MJ is one long music video. It is more than that. MJ is an attempt, within the confines of a musical, to see what drove Jackson to achieve fame without compromising his vision. He is very much the man-child in this unpromising land, which he comes to rule.

MJ follows an MTV crew (Whitney Bashor and Gabriel Ruiz, in his Broadway debut) who are doing a "making of" video of the preparations for the Dangerous Tour. And we see him putting it together, as it were. And it coalesces in a very Stephen Sondheim–like way: Odd pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that Jackson creates in his mind emerge in no orderly order, but they fit in and improve the bigger picture and in so doing, create art. Each new piece is more extravagant and expensive than the previous one. It's enough to drive a person, or a business manager, crazy.

Along the way the TV crew hears and investigates some dark rumors—mostly about Michael doing drugs—and we get flashbacks to Jackson's troubled past. And we do get some sense of the boy who is father to the man.

Since this is a Nottage play, there are no clichés or easy answers to tough questions, and every character is fully fleshed out. With Clyde's and Intimate Apparel on stage, she has had a busy season, and MJ brings it to a satisfying climax.

And since it is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, whose most recent Broadway credit is An American in Paris, you know you will get some topflight dancing. And you do get it. Whether they are unique to the show or inspired by a Jackson music video, the dancing here is flat-out amazing, high-speed and electric. The dancers execute Wheeldon's complex choreography like a well-rehearsed military drill team peopled with world-class athletes. If this were solely an evening of dances based on Jackson's music, it would be satisfying in its own right.

The cast of MJ features several standout performances. In the tile role, Myles Frost, making his Broadway debut, is a real discovery. He is tasked more than anyone else in the cast with evoking public Jackson without doing an out-and-out imitation and at times he seems to embody Jackson, in voice, mannerisms and especially in dancing. Quentin Earl Darrington has a real stage presence, as both the voice of reason—Rob—and as a destructive force—Joseph Jackson, Michael's father. Ayana George, a background singer for 25 years, finally gets to shine front and center in her Broadway debut as Katherine Jackson, singing several of Jackson's hits.

As you would guess, MJ has an impressive song list. From the Jackson Five days through the golden age of MTV videos, the hits are here: "I'll Be There," "Thriller," "Billy Jean" and "Beat It" and many more—if sometimes in truncated form. But MJ is so much more than a high-end jukebox musical. In many ways MJ is a living, breathing, even breathless, music video, but with that touch of inspiration, drive and art that only Michael Jackson can provide.

MJ is playing at New York's Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd Street, for more information go to MJTheMusical.com.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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