★★★★★
Over seven million people have attended MJ The Musical since it opened on Broadway in 2022, and for good reason. This is not a tribute show with a token plot baked into it. This is an entrancing musical mirage that explores the complex psyche of a musical revolutionary.
Functioning as a mixtape of Michael Jackson’s life experiences, this Tony Award-winning musical (Best Choreography, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, and Best Sound Design of a Musical) is told with empathy, infused with humour, and finally playing in Perth!
Set in 1992, the story takes place beforeallegations against the artist surfaced, sidestepping controversy by restricting the scope of the narrative. The story steers clear of these issues by keeping the focus on Jackson’s music and his bittersweet journey to stardom.
The premise of the musical is simple. An MTV film crew is shadowing Michael Jackson (Ilario Grant) in the lead-up to his Dangerous world tour. Rachel (Sarah Morrison) hopes to uncover something explosive and is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Jackson reluctantly tolerates Rachel and her cameraman, Alejandro (Yashith Fernando), but his focus is fixed firmly on his own goals. The first of which is to execute the most successful tour of all time. The second is to heal the world by donating all the tour’s profits to charity.
With idealistic aims and high stakes, Jackson’s quest for perfection is all-encompassing. The forces that inspire, propel, and torment can be traced back to his childhood and are contextualised through chronological flashbacks. Throughout the show, Jackson’s past unfolds as a series of memories, drawing parallels between his past and present.
Depicting a real-life figure as a glorified idol – whilst actively humanising their character – may seem like an impossible task, but this creative team strikes a balance between man and myth. Most audiences won’t have lived experience of global stardom, but many will understand the burdens of inner conflict, compulsive ambition, or childhood trauma.
This is where the emotional resonance of MJ The Musical lives, informed by the empathic nuance of Lynn Nottage’s book.
Jackson is characterised as a well-meaning perfectionist who is haunted by the long-term repercussions of his past. He is compassionate but detached from reality. Attention is drawn to the fact that – without the luxury of normalcy – Jackson’s perspective is uniquely expansive. His ambitions seem delusional to those limited by normalcy (literally everyone aside from himself), creating both internal frustration and interpersonal conflict.
You don’t need to be a fan of Michael Jackson’s music to appreciate the aesthetic excellence of this show. But if you are a fan, it will be the highlight of your year. Within the first minute, you’ll feel like Ilario Grant – who plays the titular role – is the King of Pop himself.
Breaking out iconic moves with style and precision, Grant channels Jackson at his peak. His vocal flair and dramatic physicality enable him to convincingly embody his challenging character without missing a beat, figuratively or literally.
Blaiyze Barksdale is delightful as Little Michael. Much like his non-fictional counterpart, Barksdale’s stage presence is evident even when surrounded by other talented performers.
J. Daughtry plays both Jackson’s overbearing father and his tour manager, switching fluidly between the two with apparent ease. In addition to mirroring the overlapping nature of past and present within the narrative, this casting choice reinforces Jackson’s tendency to project past trauma onto present situations.
A strong ensemble carries its fair share of weight, and whilst there are too many excellent performers to mention them all by name, there isn’t a weak link among them.
A live band is on stage for most of the show, bringing Jackson’s hits (arranged by Jason Michael Webb) to life. Featuring more than 25 back-to-back bangers (including Bad, Beat it, Black or White, Smooth Criminal, and Thriller), there’s no shortage of fan-favourites here.
The show’s treatment of Thriller masterfully encapsulates the twisted circus of Jackson’s world as it eats him alive. A tri-tiered backdrop materialises from the darkness. Haze interacts with perfectly timed projections. Otherworldly choreography and uncanny costumes convey the cumulative fracturing of Jackson’s psyche.
Dwarfed by his own shadow and haunted by his own mind, this scene hints at the monstrous isolation of a man who is constantly surrounded, but always alone.
The audience isn’t obligated to deconstruct subtext to enjoy the show; their only obligation is to be entertained. However, there are enough underlying themes present within the narrative and visual design to satisfy analytically inclined theatre-goers.
Stunning sets, evocative lighting, iconic costumes, killer choreography, and outstanding performances combine to create creatively integrated moments of aesthetic power, infused with emotion and driven by music.
Derek McLane’s multifaceted set design transports the audience through time and across place, incorporating artfully implemented projections by Peter Nigrini. Seamless transitions augment the overall aesthetic impact, utilising light and sound to great effect.
In a literal flash, an empty stage can become a neon-lit city street, an old-fashioned motel room, or a press conference capturing the darker side of fame.
Natasha Katz’s lighting design heightens the impact of the music, facilitates mindblowing transitions, and adds intensified atmosphere to costumes, choreography, and scenery.
Conscious nods to the double-edged burn of the spotlight (and other thematically-aligned creative choices) exemplify the multi-disciplinary awareness of Katz’s approach. The lighting shines brightest when it comes to conveying emotion, establishing era, and reinforcing the sense of spectacle inherent to every other element.
Paul Tazewell’s costumes encapsulate specific eras within both Jackson’s career and the wider world, leveraging the weight of music history to recreate emblematic imagery.
When Jackson first appears in a white collared shirt, that fedora, and those shoes, the instant recognisability of his form induces sensations adjacent to cultural nostalgia, and it only builds from there.
The costumes conceptually concretise the characters and their context, especially in conjunction with lighting, choreography, and an incredibly skilled cast.
Christopher Wheeldon’s choreography draws from Jackson’s distinctive dance style, extending beyond the moonwalk to include an imaginative array of slides, shuffles, spins, kicks, and crotch grabs. Demanding strength, flexibility, and impeccable timing, every act of execution adds to the overall result. From intricate footwork to freeze frame tableaus, there is as much emphasis on visual totality as there is on the detail of each moving part.
In one scene, Fred Astaire, Bob Fosse, and the Nicholas Brothers materialise onstage, revealing Jackson’s influences whilst exemplifying his unique translation of their movements.
This seemingly lighthearted scene uses the language of dance to communicate an important truth. It reminds audiences that – despite being shaped by the legacy of his past – Jackson’s innate originality persists, leading him to innovate rather than replicate. This creative authenticity beats the heart of Jackson’s artistry.
In the musical, Jackson’s creative vision is met with relentless resistance, especially in relation to his idealistic aims for the tour. In reality, the Dangerous World Tour was one of the most successful of its time, raising over one hundred million dollars for charity. Which begs the question: without dreamers, what kind of world would we live in?
If you’re in Perth, you live in a world in which tickets might still be available, but probably not for long. On Wednesday night, a unanimous standing ovation broke out before the first bows were over, and the audience remained standing throughout the show’s final songs.
Some clapped along with the music, others danced in the aisle, and most appeared to forget that they weren’t at an actual concert. The excitement was palpable, with audience enthrallment adding to an already charged atmosphere. Such is the power of a world-class production with a talented cast, brilliant choreography, and a hit-filled soundtrack
MJ The Musical respectfully resurrects the King of Pop in an entertaining exploration of music HIStory. This story about the Price of Fame is a real Thriller; you just can’t Beat It. Apologies for the Bad puns – I Can’t Help It. And yes, all those songs feature in the show.
MJ the Musical is presented by Michael Cassel Group and runs to 19 July at Crown Theatre Perth. Great Eastern Hwy Burswood WA 6100.
Tickets: https://mjthemusical.com.au/tickets/perth/
Website: https://mjthemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/mjthemusicalau/
Photo credits: Daniel Boud
