Just got in from the show.
I am just amused at the questions as to "why they are doing the show now" and the "Estate money grab" comments. It's Michael Jackson. Why did they do the Donna Summer, Motown and Tina Turner shows when they did? And the MJ Estate really doesn't need the money. It is worth over 100M.
So, the show.... For the most part I really enjoyed it. Yes, they focus on the "Dangerous" tour. It takes place during rehearsals for the tour just before the tour is to begin. It also focuses on the start of his pill dependency. It is a mentioned several times and addressed. I think they were also using it as a foreshadowing. When it first came up, you could hear a few gasps in the audience. It was an immediate reminder that it led to his death.
The story is all about his mental state at the time and how his past has affected his "current" state of mind and the choices he was making for the tour. A few things came up that I had forgotten. I figure the creatives did their research and found out the reasons he wanted to do one specific thing on the tour. It tells the story I was hoping it would tell and seems to be trying to balance between hardcore fans from way back who know all of, or most, of this stuff and pleasing younger fans. The crowd tonight ate it up.
The show definitely needs some trimming. A few songs are repeated and don't need to be. Most notably "Thriller". It is used in a very good medley production number and then pretty much the entire song is done again near the end of the show. The odd thing is that it is done as the entire stage turns into the cover of the "Dangerous" album. The only thing I can think of is that Nottage did this to show how the massive success of Thriller loomed over the "Dangerous" album. But it was weird how they went into the number. The songs that were not his and the songs he recorded after Dangerous were pretty much used to "move the story along". There was one song "Price of Fame" that I didn't recognize. But it is one of his songs. Also, I do not remember hearing "Climb Every Mountain", "Oh Happy Day" or "Ease on Down the Road" "Love Train",La La Means I love You"at this performance. And unless it was in a medley, I don't remember hearing "Workin' Day and Night". All are listed in the song credits but not all are listed in the musical numbers.
I mentioned above that I was scratching my head over Wheeldon directing the show. I didn't find it totally solid directing but not bad. At times though, I wish they had cast two more actors to play his parents. Their transitions from being part of the Dangerous tour to the parents was mostly seamless but, for me, separate actors would have worked better. And they can cut out the thing about the babysitter thing and just leave the kids out of the opening scene. It really serves no purpose. God knows they have enough to do throughout the show. They are also cramming in a lot of things about MJ's personality that we saw or read about. It was like they were checking off boxes. That needs to be smoothed out a bit.
The performances.... Myles Frost is simply incredible. I was sitting in the rear mezz so I could not see facial detail. From up there it was like Michael Jackson had come back to life. From MJ's moves to right down to the speaking and singing voice this young man had it down pat. It was uncanny. Also, the two other young men who played him as the younger MJ's were incredible. I really wish they had let Ayana George sing the last half of "I'll Be There" on her own. Really thought that was what they were going to do. Her voice is incredible and she would have brought the house down. I think that may also be a problem. No other characters really have a moment outside of MJ. They mostly do duets of group numbers.
The sound design was really nice. Yes, the show is loud but not ear splitting. I actually walked downstairs and found the sound designer and talked to him at intermission. The only thing that was off was that there seemed to be some sort of delay between the vocals and the band on two numbers. It led me to think that there might be recorded tracks involved.
The set was pretty cool and the band was top notch. No, they didn't "slide in and out" a lot. When they were onstage it was because they were part of the scene in the rehearsal room. Otherwise, they were offstage. The arrangements of the songs stayed pretty true to the originals, which was really nice. The choreography was totally on point. There is a segment where MJ talks about the dancers that inspired him and it includes a fabulous Fosse type number.
The show ended at 10:40 and curtain calls ended at 10:45. There were 3 merch stands and lots of merch. I think 2 or 3 tee shirts, a hoodie, pins, a magnets, mug, water bottle, 2 ball caps, mask and a hoodie. No window cards yet.
Of course, people were taking pictures and filming. Not a whole lot but some. Kudos to the staff at the theater. They were totally on the pictures and masks. They were NOT having it. They were up and down the stairs and shining flashlights a lot during big numbers but it didn't bother me as they were doing their jobs. I am suspecting they asked the couple in the row ahead of me to leave at intermission. She had to have had the whole first act recorded on her phone. A guy behind me 4 seats in behind them finally got up in the middle of the first act and got an usher who came up and told her to stop. Their seats were empty after intermission.
All in all a nice night at the theatre. I am really thinking of seeing it again after the holidays to see what changes are made. Although this doesn't really have that Lynn Nottage "stamp" on the book, I think it is good that she is the one who wrote it. Or at least someone of her caliber.
Just my thoughts.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
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