# MJ the Musical

MJ the Musical is a jukebox musical based on the life of the American entertainer Michael Jackson, focusing on his creative process prior to the Dangerous World Tour. It features Jackson's music, with a book by Lynn Nottage, and direction & choreography by Christopher Wheeldon.
MJ was scheduled to premiere on Broadway in mid-2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. In November 2019, Ephraim Sykes was cast as Jackson, but in June 2021 it was announced that he had been replaced by Myles Frost. The production began previews at the Neil Simon Theatre on December 6, 2021, and officially opened on February 1, 2022. It opened in the London West End in 2024.
MJ The Musical received mixed reviews from critics. However, it became one of the highest-rated Broadway shows by the audience on ShowScore with a 91% rating. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, with the musical winning four awards, including Best Actor in a Musical for Frost, as well as Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design. The original cast recording was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. By February 2025, it has grossed over 250 million dollars, and is one of the highest grossing musical theater productions of all time.

## Synopsis
### Act I

In June 1992, the cast members are preparing for rehearsals for Jackson's upcoming Dangerous World Tour; the first show in Munich, Germany is in two days. Rob, their manager, tells them to get into their places and warm up. Jackson arrives and watches the process, which leads to the opening number ("Beat It").
As Jackson shares his newest ideas with Rob, Rachel arrives with her cameraman, Alejandro, in hopes of getting an interview with Jackson. He sits with Rachel and recounts some of the terrors he suffered as a child and some of the memorable times when Berry Gordy played his family's hits on his Motown label. Jackson also discusses his collaboration with Quincy Jones and recording his albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad with Jones.
Rob and Nick escort Jackson to the press conference at Radio City Music Hall, where he presents his tour and hopes to raise $100 million for his Heal the World Foundation by Christmas 1993 ("Earth Song" / "They Don’t Care About Us").

### Act II

Jackson proposes new ideas for the tour ("Billie Jean"/"Smooth Criminal"), which Rob and Dave tell him are impractical and that they cannot afford it. Jackson recounts the horrific accident when a spark ignited his hair in the making of an advertisement for Pepsi. After listening to Rob's negative feedback, Jackson reminds him of something Quincy said to him, "Keep the faith. Don't let nobody take you down".
As the rehearsal continues, Jackson tells Rachel how the songs open up to him. During a break, a commotion breaks out. Rob tries to keep Rachel away from Jackson and doesn't want her near him, but Jackson manages to find her by disguising himself as a cleaner. He explains to her that the disguise is the only way he can be seen in public, which leads to him singing "Human Nature". After the rehearsal, Jackson explains to Rachel how emotional he feels about being loved by fans and about being teased in the newspapers. He tries to blame everything sad and unusual about himself on others (especially the press) but takes sole credit for his good deeds and success.
As Rob comes to check up on him, Jackson recalls when he played at the Apollo Theater with the Jackson 5 and how he wasn't nervous. Rob tells Jackson that everything they created would be remembered for decades, but the singer replies by asking "Is it perfect?" ("Man in the Mirror"). Jackson appears on stage, prepared to start the first show of the Dangerous Tour, "Jam (Reprise)", "Black or White" / "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Reprise)".

## Cast and characters

| Character | Broadway | US National Tour | West End | Hamburg | Sydney |
| Character | 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Michael Jackson | Myles Frost | Roman Banks | Myles Frost | Benét Monteiro | Roman Banks |
| Teenage Michael / Young Adult Michael | Tavon Olds-Sample | Brandon Lee Harris | Mitchell Zhangazha | Prince Damien | Liam Damons |
| Little Michael | Christian Wilson / Walter Russell III | Josiah Benson / Ethan Joseph | Jaydon Eastman / Elliot Mugume / Ethan Sokontwe / Dylan Trigger | Luan Kizua | Blaiyze Barksdale / William Bonner / Cayden Dosoruth / Daniel Makunike |
| Jackie Jackson | John Edwards | Jay McKenzie | Tavio Wright | Prince Orji | Kyle Kavully |
| Tito Jackson / Quincy Jones | Apollo Levine | Josh A. Dawson | Rohan Pinnock-Hamilton | DNPRI | Conlon Bonner |
| Jermaine Jackson | Lamont Walker II | Bryson Jacobi Jackson | Simeon Montague | William Baugh | Loredo Malcolm |
| Little Marlon | Devin Trey Campbell | Jaylen Lyndon Hunter | Cristiano Cuino / Sekhani Dumezweni / Khanya Madaka / Aidan Oti | Nayo | Kayleb Alese / Charlie Batchelor / Zavier Pillay / Kael Smith |
| Marlon Jackson | Zelig Williams | Brion Marquis Watson | Toyan Thomas-Browne | Rafael Portela | Xavier Gibson |
| Randy Jackson | Raymond Baynard | Malcolm Miles Young | Aden Dzuda | Caleaf Henson | G Madison IV |
| Joe Jackson / Rob | Quentin Earl Darrington | Devin Bowles | Ashley Zhangazha | David Hughey | Derrick Davis |
| Katherine Jackson | Ayana George | Anastasia Talley | Phebe Edwards | Jessica Mears | Josslynn Hlenti Afoa |
| Berry Gordy / Nick | Antoine L. Smith | J. Daughtry | Matt Mills | Perci Moeketsi | Wonza Johnson |
| Rachel | Whitney Bashor | Mary Kate Moore | Philippa Stefani | Eve Rades | Penny McNamee |
| Alejandro | Gabriel Ruíz | Da'von Moody | Matt Gonsalves | Pedro Reichert | Yashith Fernando |
| Dave | Joey Sorge | Matt Loehr | Jon Tsouras | Mario Gremlich | Tim Wright |

### Notable cast replacements
#### Broadway (2021–present)

* Michael Jackson: Elijah Johnson

## Musical numbers
### Recordings

Recording for the original Broadway cast album took place on February 7 and 8, 2022. The original Broadway cast recording was released on July 15, 2022. The original cast recording was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

## Development

The musical was announced in June 2018. Wheeldon spoke about the musical, stating, "The show is very much anchored in one particular moment in time. I always bring up the fabulous movie that Spielberg made about Lincoln: You take one key moment, I suppose, in the history of someone's life and then sort of use that as an anchor point for past storytelling and, perhaps, some kind of prophecy of what's to come. We'll be doing that with this story." Asked about the dance and choreography, he said he "intend[s] to put quite a lot of Michael's work in the show".

## Productions
### Broadway (2021)

MJ was originally scheduled to premiere in Chicago in 2019, at the Nederlander Theatre. The Michael Jackson estate canceled the Chicago tryout due to "scheduling difficulties" brought about by an Actors' Equity Association strike.
The musical was scheduled to debut on Broadway in mid-2020 but was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, and it features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. Scenery for the production is designed by Derek McLane with costuming by Paul Tazewell. Natasha Katz and Peter Nigrini are collaborating on lighting and projection designs respectively. Gareth Owen designed sound production, with hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe. Elijah Johnson took over as Jackson in March 2023.

### National Tour (2023)

A national tour began in Chicago at the Nederlander Theatre on August 1, 2023, and is scheduled to run through August 3, 2025. Jamaal Fields-Green took over as Jackson in July 2024. Jordan Markus then stepped into the title role of the production in February 2025.

### West End (2024)

The musical opened in the West End at the Prince Edward Theatre, with previews beginning March 6, 2024 and an official opening night on March 27. Frost reprised his role as Jackson. Jamaal Fields-Green then went on to reprise the role as MJ in January 2025.

### Hamburg (2024)

A German production is expected to play the Stage Theater an der Elbe at Hamburg. Dialogue will be in German with the musical numbers remaining in English. Performances are scheduled to begin on December 1, 2024.

### Sydney (2025)

An Australian production is scheduled to open at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on February 26, 2025. Banks reprised his role as Jackson.

## Box office

Ticket sales have averaged more than a million dollars per week on Broadway. Following the Tony Awards, the weekly gross jumped to $1,661,000, with sold-out shows and brisk advance sales; it received the biggest box office jump that week on Broadway and recorded a new high for the show's sales. By September 4, 2022, it broke the Neil Simon Theater's box office record five times with a total cumulative gross of $49.4 million. As of January 2025, MJ the Musical on Broadway had grossed around $245 Million with a total attendance of 1,679,656 after 1,246 performances. MJ The Musical has ranked amongst the top five highest grossing annual Broadway shows each year since its release.

## Critical response

MJ received mixed reviews from critics. Charles Isherwood of Broadway News criticized Lynn Nottage's book, in particular, writing, "where MJ loses its fleet footing is in the bland, exposition-heavy and often trite dialogue supplied by Nottage ... Clichés, preachy speeches, and baldly obvious dialogue abound." Adam Feldman of Time Out wrote, "'Listen to my music,' says Michael to his interviewer. 'It answers any questions you might have.' Does it? I left the theater entertained, but not convinced I had seen the man in the smoke and mirrors." Maya Phillips of The New York Times wrote, "The musical is inherently hollow; the opacity of Michael Jackson and his life of traumas and controversies make it difficult to find material compelling and cohesive enough to tell a story onstage".
The Deadline reporter Greg Evans said the musical was "visually and sonically ravishing", while the Chicago Tribune called the show's scenery gorgeous and the show "beautiful to experience throughout, which one almost never can say about jukebox musicals". Peter Marks of The Washington Post also praised the show and the cast, especially the "utterly persuasive" Frost, and called MJ "a riveting, adrenaline rush of a show". Linda Armstrong of Amsterdam News called the production "spectacular", "stunning" and "off-the-charts". Joe Westerfield of Newsweek said, "In many ways MJ is a living, breathing, even breathless, music video, but with that touch of inspiration, drive and art that only Michael Jackson can provide."

## Awards and nominations
### Original Broadway production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | MJ the Musical | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Myles Frost | Won | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Christopher Wheeldon | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Christopher Wheeldon & Rich + Tone Talauega | Won | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Lynn Nottage | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Jason Michael Webb & David Holcenberg | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Derek McLane & Peter Nigrini | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Natasha Katz | Won | |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Gareth Owen | Won | |
| 2022 | Chita Rivera Awards | Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show | MJ the Musical | Nominated | [59] [60] |
| 2022 | Chita Rivera Awards | Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show | Myles Frost | Won | [59] [60] |
| 2022 | Chita Rivera Awards | Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show | Christopher Wheeldon | Nominated | [59] [60] |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Myles Frost | Nominated | [61] [62] |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Tavon Olds-Sample | Nominated | [61] [62] |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Christopher Wheeldon, Rich and Tone Taleuega & Michael Balderrama | Nominated | [61] [62] |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Jason Michael Webb & David Holcenberg | Won | [61] [62] |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Natasha Katz | Won | [61] [62] |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Gareth Owen | Won | [61] [62] |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair Design | Charles LaPointe | Nominated | [61] [62] |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | MJ the Musical | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Myles Frost | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Christopher Wheeldon | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Grammy Awards | Best Musical Theater Album | Myles Frost (principal vocalist), Tavon Olds-Sample (principal vocalist), David Holcenberg (producer), Derik Lee (producer), Jason Michael Webb (producer) | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | MJ the Musical | Nominated | [64] [65] |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Myles Frost | Nominated | [64] [65] |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Christopher Wheeldon | Nominated | [64] [65] |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreographer | Christopher Wheeldon & Rich + Tone Talauega | Won | [64] [65] |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Quentin Earl Darrington | Nominated | [64] [65] |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Jason Michael Webb & David Holcenberg | Nominated | [64] [65] |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Natasha Katz | Nominated | [64] [65] |
| 2022 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Debut Performance | Myles Frost | Won | |

### Original West End production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2024 | Black British Theatre Awards | Best Musical | MJ the Musical | Won |
| 2024 | Black British Theatre Awards | Best Musical Director | Sean Green | Won |
| 2024 | Black British Theatre Awards | Best Graduate | Kwamè Kandekore | Won |
| 2024 | Black British Theatre Awards | Best Child Performer | Dylan Trigger | Nominated |
| 2024 | Black British Theatre Awards | Best Supporting Female Actor in a Musical | Phebe Edwards | Nominated |