Michael Jackson Broadway Review Opening night of MJ the Musical was quite the scene in Times Square last night. But the show was stolen by none other than the king of pop himself. The actor who plays MJ was stellar.
But the rest of the show is rather disjointed and goes off into space at various times, but fortunately held together by a solid #2.
The casting of Joe Jackson was excellent. His voice made the hairs on the back our head stand up.
The show did their best to avoid any of MJ’s sordid history. However there is one uncomfortable scene where MJ is holding a child. And if feels uncomfortable. Yes it is a child version of himself. But nevertheless, it still pushes thoughts in our head of MJ’s issues with the law over child abuse. And the subsequent documentary on Netflix where multiple children accuse MJ of child sexual abuse.
In fact part of me was almost expecting a protest at the opening night.
But this was a room packed with fans who love their MJ.
One unexpected part was the lack of actual MJ songs. Instead the show sings all of these random songs that the MJ organization owns and wants to use for obvious reasons. But beyond exercising their ownership rights and giving the songs airtime. It doesn’t work. A lot of confusing parts to this show became more confusing by the songs chosen.
However one poignant scene does make great use of a catalogue song. Money. Where the scene illustrates the financial and emotional pressure MJ was under from his own family.
MJ just wanted to be a child. And apparently never got to experience childhood.
When he was a kid the show makes it clear his father said you can’t play like the other children. For then later in life you will be working in a mill.
So MJ trades the life of a child for endless practice to become a star musician. And then ends up spending the rest of his life as a sort of man child.
