Another day, another Broadway musical, and this time I saw the four-time Tony Award-winning MJ The Musical. In my last blog post, I mentioned that instead of wasting my evenings after work, I’m going to do things like going to musicals and plays. Of course, this spectacular musical was first on my list. This is a show that I’ve been dying to see since its premiere in 2021. I finally was able to see it at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, MO, and it was truly everything I expected it to be, and more.
A Synopsis:
From the official website: “The plot of MJ the Musical navigates through different stages of his life, revealing the man behind the music. The story begins with young Michael’s early days in Gary, Indiana, and charts his journey to stardom with the Jackson 5. It delves into the hurdles he had to overcome, both personally and professionally, to become the influential solo artist we all know.
The narrative explores the different phases of Michael Jackson’s career, from the disco-infused days of “Off the Wall” to the pop domination of “Thriller” to the introspective, mature sound of his later works. The musical doesn’t shy away from his personal struggles either – it touches on the trials and tribulations Jackson faced offstage, providing a balanced portrayal of his life.”
Act I.
As a huge Michael Jackson fan (and self-proclaimed historian), I came into this show feeling a little bit weary. Although I knew I would enjoy it, after coming off the high of the biopic featuring Jaafar Jackson, I silently felt that no one else’s portrayal could match his. I know he is literal blood family, and this is only a Broadway show – not a biopic. I feel that if you’re going to play Michael, you have to embody him from his voice to his aura.
Myles Frost, the original actor in the musical, embodied Michael perfectly to me. Although I didn’t get to see him in person, the recordings, live performances, and his interviews alone showed me why he won the Tony award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical) for this role. He did an absolutely phenomenal job. Roman Banks, who initially portrayed MJ on the first leg of the national tour, also felt that he did an amazing job, especially with his vocal similarities to Michael.
The actor portraying MJ on this part of the tour is Jordan Marrkus. But I saw the Matinee show, so I believe the actor for this show was Melvin Gray Jr. My first impression: I didn’t really feel Michael’s aura during the first few performances. But I still made sure to keep an open mind and let go of my bias. Another thing that slightly threw me off at first was his height and speaking voice. I know Michael was very soft-spoken and calm, but I felt his tone and vocal style were a bit too fast and overly dramatic at times, especially with his enunciation.
But these are little things that I can’t take too seriously. Some fabricated parts made just for the sake of the play were difficult for me to relate back to Michael’s life, given how much I already know. Such as the concept of the nonexistent MTV interview and the imaginary stage manager, Rob, to some aspects or overexaggerations of Michael’s personality.
As the musical went on, I really enjoyed all the Motown/Jackson Five scenes. It felt like I went back in time to see the Jackson Five myself, and I felt super nostalgic, even though I’ve never seen them in real life. The scene where younger Michael and his mother, Katherine, sing “I’ll Be There,” which transitions into a duet with adult Michael, is truly a tearjerker. Watching Michael watch his younger self during his father Joseph’s abuse is heartbreaking to see.
The actor who portrays Michael in the Off the Wall/Thriller era, Brandon Lee Harris, had an amazing performance, in my opinion. I loved the accuracy in his voice and tone. The runs he can do with his voice were so clear and smooth, just like Michael’s.
I loved the concept of the actors Joseph and Katherine playing dual roles, showing how the people in Michael’s life as an adult in his crew mirrored back to his childhood. Such as Joseph and the stage manager being the same, representing the control and strictness in his life. Also, the actor who plays Katherine also portrays Kate, his background singer. It’s so intriguing and well done throughout the show. You really have to pay attention, or you might get confused with the comparisons.
My favorite part of the first act is the scenes of Michael trying to gain his independence by leaving Motown with his brothers so they could have the freedom to write their own songs. Also, filming the Wiz, living in New York with his sister Latoya, meeting Quincy Jones, and his time at Studio 54.
A big part of the motivation for Thriller is Michael feeling he did not get the recognition he deserved for Off the Wall, and the racism he faced in the music industry during the Disco era. This is an extremely important aspect of his life and career. They also made sure to show how Michael came up with the ideas for his songs, while Quincy worked around them, showing that he was more involved in the creative process than people think. It wasn’t just all Quincy’s doing.
Quincy played a huge role in motivating Michael to push his limits and keep the faith when facing adversity from the music industry, showing that they made a great team during that time. It ends with Michael’s music playing at Studio 54, then a montage of all his successes from Thriller, winning a record-breaking eight Grammy awards in one night. This is something I feel the biopic really needed to show but was unfortunately cut, and I’m glad the story exists in this musical. It was truly a crucial time in MJ’s life, and the musical did a great job showcasing it.
After the first act ended. I still had my critiques and was a little disappointed because of my own high expectations. Even though the show had been VERY good so far, the little things made it harder for me to fully enjoy it and give it its full tens, but that was until I saw the second act, where I completely ate my words.
Act II.
Act II started with a performance of “Billie Jean,” and the audience went crazy, like we were at an actual concert. Soon after came “Smooth Criminal”, and I was left in AWE. This scene has always been my favorite part since watching Myles Frost perform it at the Tony Awards. I loved how they incorporated Michael’s dance influences, such as Bob Fosse, Fred Astaire, and the Nicholas Brothers. I thought it was so smart how they had MJ mimic the dance moves, but with his own Michael-Esque uniqueness. This was a way to show the origins of his famous dance moves, such as the toe stand and his legendary kick. It showed the audience how much Michael was a fan of old Hollywood musicals and his love of Broadway, making it a full-circle moment. I remember how much you could feel the anticipation of the beat dropping before “Smooth Criminal” played, with his heartbeat from the intro filling the theater. People almost jumped out of their seats.
After this scene, it was like the musical amped up to a full TEN. Almost like the first act was just preparation for the greatness to come. It got deeper into the abuse from his father, going on the Victory tour with his brothers and Don King, the Pepsi incident, and the loneliness and trauma he felt from fame and his childhood. Also, his painkiller addiction and money issues. At some points, MJ is warned that this tour is becoming too expensive and the special effects and theatrics just can’t be done. Of course, MJ still fights for what he wants even if that means he loses something he loves, such as Neverland. I thought it was written very sincerely, which hasn’t always been done regarding his life. It doesn’t make a mockery of it.
I also need to point out how amazing the song transitions/mashups were. There was a specific part where Joseph and the brothers are convincing Michael to go on the Victory tour. Michael asks why he should do this, and Joseph says for the money. A phenomenal mashup of For the Money by the O’Jays and Money from Michael’s 1995 History album, along with Can You Feel It by The Jacksons, really makes you feel the intensity of the scene.
I loved some of MJ’s lesser-known songs like Price of Fame, Keep the Faith, 2 Bad, Stranger in Moscow, and even You Can’t Win from The Wiz, getting the acknowledgment they deserve and fitting so well into the storyline.
Another great scene was Human Nature this is where you get an insight on Michael’s life and every misconception of him at the time. What stood out in this is how Michael explained all the answers to his life are in his music. Which is basically the point of the musical overall, they’re using his music to tell his life story. This scene lets you see him as a human being, which the media consistently failed to do.
A huge part of this storyline is Michael’s impending painkiller addiction, which we know is a result of the Pepsi incident. The MTV news reporter, Rachel, is frustrated that she can’t pry deeper into Michael’s personal life. She overhears about the pills, and from there she tries to get his stage manager, Rob, to speak to her and eventually Michael. Her interview ends with her warning Michael that everything will soon come out, either from her or someone else. Which I feel is an ominous foreshadowing of what would happen to Michael later in the Dangerous tour, which is part of what led to its early ending.
My favorite part of all was Thriller. This scene felt like we transformed into a different dimension. Having child Michael transition to adult Michael, bonded by their fear of Joseph, after the scene where he explains why he disciplines him so harshly. Joseph explains he does this because he loves him. Little Michael asks, “Is that the only way?” It’s like you could hear a pin drop in the audience at that line. Your heartbreaks for him at the moment because it’s something I feel most of us think. Discipline is not the only way to show love. Michael’s lack of love from his father really shaped the later years of his life. There’s another scene where Michael describes feeling love from the audience during their first Showtime at The Apollo performance, when he knew the audience could be overly harsh if you didn’t do well. I felt there was a correlation there, between how Michael experienced and viewed love, different from how others did.
This scene felt like true theater to me. It had the theatrics, phenomenal stage design, and choreography. How they emphasize the bridge of the song made it even better for me since it’s my favorite part. The visuals and stage design also reminded me of the Dangerous album cover. It was like a look inside the chaos and pressure that Michael may have been dealing with in his mind at the time. This scene also confirmed to me something I had been thinking about Michael’s life for a while now — that he was treated not as a human being but as a puppet by the world, especially by his father.
Instead of doing the iconic Thriller dance break again (which they already did earlier in the show), they had Joseph, dressed as a villain in the back, controlling Michael’s dancing like a puppet on strings. This depicted just how much he still occupied his life even as an adult. As he rehearsed the songs, especially those from his younger years, the more he remembered his childhood trauma, which manifested through this performance.
At the end, Michael is left alone on the stage with the black curtains behind him. Everyone is asking him if he is okay while he stands traumatized. This scene received a well-deserved standing ovation. My mother and others say this is the first time they truly understood the song and that they will never look at Thriller the same again.
The Finale
There is a performance of Man in the Mirror by the whole cast, before Michael leaves the stage, following the emotional performance of Thriller. It’s like in this scene, he’s contemplating his life while the cast sings around him. He joins in at certain parts and stops to let them sing. The standout is the actress who portrays Katherine/Kate taking the lead. You can truly feel the soul in her voice.
For the finale, you feel the anticipation of Michael jumping from the stage toaster, which he wouldn’t let up on after many people warned him that it could be dangerous and costly. He jumps out, and the audience applauds, and everything goes black — starting the beginning of one of the greatest tours of all time. It really felt like you were there for a second in real life if you have a strong enough imagination.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of my initial critiques of the slight inaccuracies in his voice and appearance, I still give the musical a 10/10. You can easily see why they’ve been on tour for three years now, and my city was their last stop ever. I genuinely would’ve seen it a second time if possible. The actor who played MJ did an amazing job, and maybe I was a little too hard on him at first. Trying to emulate Michael Jackson is truly one of the hardest jobs in the world because everyone will have an opinion. Even Jaafar Jackson is still getting overly critiqued himself for not looking exactly like him. To play Michael on tour night after night and still deliver such a great performance deserves so much recognition in itself.
This was also a full-circle moment for me because the tour came to my city in 2024, and I remember how desperately I wanted to go. I was dealing with a lot in my life at the time and had money troubles. Due to my life choices at the time, I missed out on the opportunity, and now I have finally gotten to fulfill my dream of seeing this play and financing the tickets all on my own. It showed me how hard I worked to get my life together since then.
In the end, you will leave this play even more inspired by Michael Jackson than before. Since the biopic premiered a few weeks ago and is getting close to reaching one billion in just over a month, there has been an MJ resurgence worldwide. It’s been 17 years since his death, and he remains the world’s number one global artist, still breaking records and outselling artists today. He created an everlasting legacy and is gaining more fans daily. I’ve never seen so many kids gravitate towards him. A school went on a field trip to the musical, and I remember all I could hear was their excitement in the audience. There were children dressed up as him with their parents. Everyone, young and old, has been inspired by him. There was a woman in the audience during intermission, talking to her friend about how she had seen The Jackson Five live, and you could really see her reliving the excitement of her memories throughout the show.
I also left this play feeling sorry for how Michael was treated in this world, but even more inspired to live out my dreams as he did and to never let anyone tell me that I can’t do something. No matter what adversities you face, you have to keep that inner child alive and keep going, as Michael did.
There is a scene in which Michael is asked whether he wants to make something people will still be talking about years from now. I saw everyone react to the irony. We are still celebrating and talking about Michael more than ever. So in the end, he truly manifested and achieved his goal. His legacy will truly survive many generations to come, no matter how much people try to diminish it.
You can still catch MJ The Musical on Broadway in New York City. Hopefully, another leg of this tour will be announced again soon. As shows like The Lion King, Wicked, The Wiz, Dreamgirls, and more have shown, this musical deserves the long-lasting success and legacy of the greats and will be mentioned in Broadway history in years to come.
What are your thoughts on MJ The Musical? Comment Below!
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