MJ the Musical review: Dark and dazzling production exposes singer’s late career for the haunted circus it was
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But miraculously, MJ the Musical doesn’t feel like just another cash grab – and that’s all thanks to the formidable writing muscle of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, who exposes Jackson’s late career for the haunted circus it was. But Nottage’s portrait of Jackson, which follows the singer in rehearsals for his wildly extravagant 1992 Dangerous tour, never depicts him as the superhero he dresses up as on stage, either. Flashbacks to Michael’s horrendous childhood show his father Joseph drilling The Jackson 5 like circus animals: when he claps, they flinch. Each song has a message here: in one close-to-the-bone scene, MJ’s family swirl around him singing “Money” as they force their reluctant cash cow back on stage.
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MJ the Musical is moonwalking into the West End – but how do you tell a story like Michael Jackson’s?
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