It’s an interesting time to bring MJ the Musical to Australia. Nearly 16 years since the King of Pop’s death, the allegations and discussions about his personal life haven’t stopped. Even just this week, the sequel to the harrowing Leaving Neverland documentary hits TV screens around the globe, again putting the spotlight on arguably the most creative genius of our time.
Despite what you think of the man, everyone can name at least one Michael Jackson song that they like which is exactly what this Tony Award winning jukebox musical taps into. The show follows MJ’s rehearsals for the 1992 Dangerous world tour as an MTV journalist interviews and watches the process of Jackson as both an artist and a human desperate to get away from the cameras and spotlight, despite demanding perfection from himself, his dancers and team.
US actor and dancer Roman Banks fills the shoes of Jackson, a role he first took on in 2023. His impersonation of Jackson’s speaking voice isn’t perfect (let’s face it, whose is?) but his vocals and especially his dancing is near-flawless. Particular highlights include “Smooth Criminal,” “Jam,” and, of course, “Billie Jean.” Through Jackson’s conversations with the journalist and his team, we go back to the start of his career and watch he and his brothers as the Jackson 5 rise from hometown heroes to national treasures. We get all the Jackson 5 hits – “ABC” “I’ll Be There” – but what’s deeply unsettling is watching the Jackson patriarch Joe, often with verbal and physical abuse, demanding repeated excellence from his literal children.
The production can fairly be criticized for not going deep into the serious allegations that plagued Jackson’s life and his relationships with minors (a tour producer noting that Jackson’s requests are getting out of control and a question about a family he’s bringing on tour is swiftly moved past), but what it does delve into is Jackson’s relationship with his father. From being hit as a child, to being publicly abused and ridiculed as a teenager going through puberty, Joe Jackson’s treatment of his son no doubt had a lifelong impact on the music icon. Though reportedly inspired by his love of horror films, MJ the Musical even reimagines the penultimate “Thriller” as Jackson’s attempts to stop being controlled by and get away from his father.
We watch as Jackson gets older, teams with Quincy Jones for the game changing 1979 album Off the Wall with performances including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” and not being satisfied with only winning one Grammy. It wasn’t even up for Album of the Year, after all. We see him essentially cornered by Joe, his brothers and even mother Katherine, who Jackson was very close with his entire life and even confided in about his hatred for his father, peer pressure him into getting the Jackson 5 back together for a quick buck despite his own solo star rising. We see the infamous Pepsi ad incident in which Jackson’s hair is set on fire during a pyrotechnics mishap and the ensuing painkillers he continued to abuse. We witness the success of 1982’s Thriller and the desired Album of the Year Grammy win. But as he prepares for the Dangerous tour, it’s still not enough. Jackson wants a toaster lift to shoot him up on stage. He wants a rocket ship to fly him over the stadium. And he wants the allegations about his life to stop – the rumours about his skin, sleeping in an echo chamber – Jackson wants to be left alone.
The production and cast are brilliant, the band is tight, the setlist is near perfect and the choreography is inspiring. But ultimately, your take on MJ the Musical will come down to where you stand on Jackson’s allegations. Those who are comfortable with the 2005 trial verdict and the 14 counts of not guilty will have the time of their lives. Those who aren’t may just leave the theatre with more questions than answers.
