Michael Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history and undoubtedly one its greatest entertainers.

As a solo artist, Jackson enjoyed chart topping success worldwide, chalking up sales of some 500 million records in the process.

While Michael Jackson's contribution to music and dance made him a global icon of popular culture, he also endured a maelstrom of personal controversy in later life.

There was constant media comment on the performer's strange behaviour and personal appearance along with rumours of his affection for young boys turning to accusations of child sexual abuse after his death in 2009.

Michael Joseph Jackson died from cardiac arrest, caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose, just weeks before a sold-out concert residency in London.

Now 15 years later, MJ – the Musical has opened at the Prince Edward Theatre, with Myles Frost reprising his Tony Award winning role on Broadway.

The musical does embrace the conflict between Jacksons personal and professional lives by highlighting an overbearing and abusive father, who drove his five sons mercilessly to pop stardom as The Jackson Five.

This left its scar on Michael with performing the only way to escape the demons that dominated when off stage.

Were this drama, the production would concentrate on the disturbing aspect of the Michale Jackson story.

But this is MJ – the Musical, and audiences will be asked to 'park' much of the personal 'baggage' during the performance and concentrate on Michael Jackson’s astonishing musical talent.

And with Myles Frost, as the older Jackson, and Mitchell Zhangazh as his younger self, this is not difficult.

Much of the production takes place in the rehearsal room for Jackson's upcoming Dangerous World Tour, of 1992 and 1993.

The excellent backing band is there on stage for much of the time, supporting Michael Jackson and his tremendous troupe of backing singers and dancers.

He constantly driving them to reach almost impossible artistic heights, in the way his father with his sons as The Jackson Five.

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The production opens with Beat It, before renditions by The Jackson 5, and twenty-plus production numbers embracing his early solo success and the Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous albums.

Whatever one thinks Jackson's legacy is, or should be, Myles Frost gives an electrifying performance in the lead role.

Portraying Jackson with 'mouse-like' yet steely determination when not in the spotlight, he dominates every production number where his astonishing singing and dancing ability come to the fore.

But will the resulting Dangerous tour elevate Michael Jackson to ever greater artist status, and personal redemption? Or end in financial and creative ruin?

Given the rapturous response from the packed house, MJ – the Musical will reach out and touch all ages.

There are those, like me, able to relive a time when Michael Jackson provided a soundtrack for our youth.

Others, equally enthralled, would not have been out of infant school when he died.

And finally, there will be those who are merely looking for one hell of an all singing all dancing evening of West End theatre

I went to MJ – the Musical, not sure how I would feel about the artist. And I left still not sure.

But for those two-and-a-half hours, I was completely caught up in what was the unique artistry of Michael Jackson the performer.

MJ - the Musical is now playing at London's Prince Edward Theatre.

www.london.mjthemusical.com

Other productions are being staged in New York, on tour in the USA, and in Berlin with Sydney opening in February 2025.

Postscript

The Dangerous World Tour was the second world concert tour by American singer Michael Jackson and was staged to promote his eighth studio album Dangerous.

All profits were donated to various charities including Jackson's own Heal the World Foundation.

It began in Munich in June 1992, and ended in Mexico City in November 1993.

Michael Jackson played 69 sold out stadium concerts to 3,500,000 people in Europe, Asia and Latin America, with the tour grossing over $100 million.

Useful links

​ www.london.mjthemusical.com