MJ the Musical — Souvenirs + Experience + Review — The Schuster Center, Dayton (June 25, 2025)

Описание: MJ the Musical was announced in June 2018 with a scheduled premiere for 2019, but was cancelled due to the Actors' Equity Association strike. The show was then scheduled to premiere on Broadway mid-2020 but was cancelled due to the global pandemic. MJ the Musical finally premiered on Broadway as previews on December 6, 2021, then officially opened on February 1, 2022. The first national tour of North America started on August 1st, 2023, with its run scheduled to end on August 3rd, 2025. MJ the Musical in London, England, and Hamburg, Germany, opened in 2024, followed by Sydney, Australia, in early 2025. MJ the Musical won 4 Tony Awards out of its 10 nominations.

The entirety of the performance is presented as a reporter named Rachel interviewing Michael during the creation of his Dangerous World Tour, which is set to begin in just 2 days. The interview reveals his life and career-spanning inspirations, goals, achievements, and humanitarian efforts. And as a result, leads to Michael recounting memories from his childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood — which are all reenacted on stage utilizing the numerous actors playing the part of Michael at various stages of his life.

The reenacted memories show everything from the discipline and abuse by his father, Joseph, to the love and support he consistently received from his mother, Katherine. From Michael’s financial situations, to his dependency on pain medication stemming from the Pepsi commercial accident, are all also reenacted. It reveals Michael’s aspirations to leave the Jackson’s group for career and artistry independence. Disappointments with his music not receiving enough airplay, his Off the Wall album not winning the top awards he was hoping for, both giving him drive to make an album so great it couldn’t be ignored. That album would be Thriller — the biggest-selling album of all time. It goes on chronicling the albums Bad and Dangerous, and how he intends to make the Dangerous World Tour a tour like no other.

The live music, acting, dancing, storytelling, pace, set design, and lighting were all fantastic. The set design utilized physical props, spectacular bright and colorful lighting, and projector video effects, making the show feel more immersive. From laughs to tears, the range of emotion felt by the audience is notable too.

A particular tender moment was during the “ I’ll Be There” performance, which started as a duet between Katherine and Little Michael, but mid-song and mid-note smoothly transitioned into a duet between Katherine and adult Michael. That transition represented Katherine as consistently being there as a loving and supportive mother to Michael throughout his life.

A funny moment came when Michael was explaining to his manager, Rob, that this big Dangerous World Tour opening idea came to him in a dream and if they don’t do it, God will give the idea to Prince. It was a fun, lighthearted moment that briefly touched on the rivalry between Michael and Prince, as big or as little as that rivalry may have been.

It was a truly remarkable show, leaving me with only one minor disappointment — why did they not do a proper anti-gravity lean during Smooth Criminal? There was a lean, but it was achieved by fellow cast members holding MJ up, as opposed to the shoes locking to the floor for a self-supporting lean. However, that disappointment is countered by the fantastic “toaster” catapult jump as MJ the Musical’s finale, ironically ending the musical as the Dangerous World Tour begins. The simultaneous movement of the background and Michael’s rotation after landing from the jump made it as if we, the audience, were moving around Michael.

If you get the opportunity to see MJ the Musical, whether on Broadway or elsewhere, I absolutely recommend it. I believe MJ the Musical is a show that fans — both hardcore or general — and even non-fans will enjoy.

00:00 - Intro
00:12 - Souvenirs
11:45 - Souvenir Boutique
12:09 - The Experience
13:34 - The Schuster Center
14:13 - MJ the Musical Credits
15:21 - Outro

MJ the Musical - First National Tour Trailer:
   • MJ The Musical Tour  

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