Playwright: Lynn Nottage
Starring: Elijah Rhea Johnson, Apollo Levine, and Whitney Bashor
Rate: 4.5/5
Michael Jackson was named the “King of Pop” respectively in 1989. His music has spanned for generations starting with his family’s band, “The Jackson 5”, taking Motown by storm and breaking into the music business. Jackson then began his solo career with smash-hit albums such as “Bad”, “Thriller”, and “Dangerous”. Jackson dominated the charts for a large portion of the 1980s and 1990s. Jackson unfortunately died on June 25th, 2009 due to acute propofol intoxication. Michael Jackson’s music proves to withstand the test of time with the tribute musical “MJ” running the musical theater scene this year.
“MJ” follows Michael Jackson in Los Angeles in 1992, as he prepares to launch his tour to promote his newest album “Dangerous”. Jackson had been caught up in a slew of controversy surrounding the album’s release. During the show, two representatives from MTV follow Michael and try to get his story out to the public while following his creative process. The show goes back in time in Jackson’s career highlighting his greatest hits. “MJ” is the winner of four Tony awards and it is clear why.
Performances by the cast were stellar in the sense that they matched the people they were playing flawlessly. Elijah Rhea Johnson, who plays MJ during the later part of his life. Johnson has Michael Jackson’s voice, mannerisms, and iconic dance moves down to a perfect science. Aside from Johnson, Brandon Lee Harris plays MJ through his albums “Thriller” and “Bad”. Harris also shows his extensive talents on stage through his portrayal of these iconic albums. The show is utterly electrifying and these two are the reason.
If you are a fan of in-depth stories this may not be the show for you. “MJ” is a bit confusing in the sense that many of the actors triple up on the characters they are portraying and switch throughout each scene. As the show is considered a jukebox musical, a majority of the show is performance-based rather than dialogue. So if you are considering seeing the show and are not a fan of Michael Jackson’s music it’s best to sit this one out.
The music is solely Michael Jackson’s discography. Taking audiences through his Motown songs with “The Jackson 5” up until his 1992 album “Dangerous”. Through extravagant dance numbers and singing, “MJ” feels like a Michael Jackson concert. Some fan-favorite performances include “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal”.
Critics deem “MJ” fell short through its storyline, claiming every bad deed committed by Jackson is the fault of others and every good deed is due to Jackson. The show fails to acknowledge any fault in Jackson which, while it makes for a heartwarming story, may not be the most candid representation of the pop star as his behavior was very controversial in his late life. Aside from these critics, “MJ” is a fan favorite amongst audiences.
If you are a fan of Michael Jackson or music history as a whole, run, do not walk to the Neil Simon Theater to see “MJ” on its New York run!
