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MJ the Musical is a jukebox musical based on the life of the American entertainer Michael Jackson. It features Jackson's music with a book by Lynn Nottage, and choreography by Christopher Wheeldon. MJ was scheduled to premiere on Broadway in mid-2020, but this was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2019, Ephraim Sykes was cast as Jackson, but in June 2021 it was announced that he had been replaced by Myles Frost.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 opened at the Neil Simon Theatre on February 1, 2022, with previews beginning in December 6. In April 2023, Frost was replaced by Elijah Johnson. MJ received mixed reviews, but has been a success at the box office. 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 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. By May 2024, the Broadway musical production had grossed $191.4 million, with an attendance of over 1.2 million. Synopsis Telling the story of Michael Jackson's life, MJ features over 25 of Michael Jackson's biggest hits. "The show takes audiences behind the scenes as Michael prepares for the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, providing an in-depth look at his process. As Michael and his collaborators rehearse their setlist, we are transported to pivotal creative moments from his career." Act I The show starts with the cast members preparing for rehearsals for the upcoming Dangerous World Tour, during which the first show is in two days. Rob, their manager then tells them to get into their places and warm up. Michael Jackson makes his grand entrance and watches the process, which leads to an epic opening number ("Beat It"). As Michael shares his new ideas with Rob, a woman called Rachel enters with her cameraman, Alejandro, in hopes of getting an interview with Michael. Michael sits with Rachel and recounts some of the terrors he suffered as a child and some of the memorable times when Berry Gordy played their hits on his Motown label. As the interview carries on, Michael shares his collaboration with Quincy Jones, recording Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad together. After Rachel and Alejandro leave, Rob and Nick escort Michael to a press-conference downtown, where he presents his tour and hopes to raise funds for his Heal the World Foundation by Christmas 1993 ("Earth Song" / "They Don’t Care About Us"). Act II Act II starts with Michael sharing his new ideas for the tour ("Billie Jean"/"Smooth Criminal"), which Rob and Dave tell him are impossible and that they cannot afford it. He starts to recount a horrific accident when a spark ignited his hair in the making of an advert for Pepsi-Co. After listening to Rob go on and on with negativity, he reminds him of what Quincy Jones said to him, "Keep the faith. Don't let nobody take you down". As the rehearsal carries on, Michael tells Rachel how the songs open up to him. However, during a break, commotion starts breaking out. Rob tries to keep Rachel away from Michael and doesn't want her near him. However, Michael manages to find her by disguising himself as a cleaner and explains to her how it is the only way he can go in public, which leads to him singing "Human Nature". After the rehearsal, Michael explains to Rachel how emotional he feels about being loved by fans, and being teased in the newspapers. He tries to have it both ways by trying to blame everything sad and weird about himself on others (especially the press), but credit him alone for his every good deed and success. As Rob comes to check up on him, Michael recounts when he played the Apollo Theater with the Jackson 5 and how he wasn't nervous. Rob tries to tell Michael how everything they created can be remembered for decades but he only replies by asking "Is it perfect", which starts the penultimate number, "Man in the Mirror". The show ends with Michael appearing in the middle of the stage ready to start the first show of the Dangerous World Tour ("Jam (Reprise)", "Black or White" / "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' Reprise)". Cast and characters Notable Cast Replacements Broadway (2021-) 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. Productions Broadway (2021) MJ was set to premiere its pre-Broadway run in Chicago, US on October 29, 2019, at the Nederlander Theatre. The run would continue through December 1. The Michael Jackson estate decided to cancel the planned Chicago tryout, ostensibly due to "scheduling difficulties" brought about by an Actors' Equity Association strike. Actors Equity wasn't shouldering the blame for the cancellation, stating "It is difficult to understand how a modest delay in February would impact a run that was scheduled for late October." The musical was expected to debut on Broadway in the summer of 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the production was postponed to 2021. 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. The musical was first 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". The musical is a collaboration between The Michael Jackson Estate and Columbia Live Stage. Myles Frost played his final performance on April 2, 2023 and was replaced by Mindless Behavior star Elijah Johnson on April 4, 2023. North American Tour (2023–2024) In March 2022, it was announced that the show will kick off its national tour in Chicago at the Nederlander Theatre, running from August 1, 2023 through September 8, 2024 with Roman Banks set to play the title role. West End (2024) In October 2022, it was announced that the show is scheduled to transfer to West End at the Prince Edward Theatre in 2024. Myles Frost reprised his Tony Award-winning performance as the title character. Performances began on March 6, 2024. Hamburg (2024) In September 2023, it was announc.... Discover the Rachel Edwards Gabriel Watson popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Rachel Edwards Gabriel Watson books.