Michael Jackson musical...new documentary — Page 2

Dave28282 said: "I would actually be shocked if the show is taken down, because there has been a trial already, and the boys, including these 2 have sworn nothing happened.

They happen to be looking for fame, followers and fortune and the parents are quite peculiar too.

Let the man rest."

Yes, they testified as children, after Michael Jackson said that if anyone ever found out about them, they would be in jail forever. I can’t imagine WHY they would have lied... This excuse of “but they already said nothing happened!” is ridiculous and shows how little people know about sexual abuse. People need to stop.



Whether Michael Jackson did what is said or not, he was clearly a very disturbed man and the American public gave him many free passes. If these boys parents were “peculiar,” so were all of us because he paraded these boys around and nobody ever batted an eye. We knew he was having sleepovers with children but people stood behind him.



I am just shocked in the middle of the #metoo movement that people are doubting these guys. The documentary (which was VERY well done) went into detail about everything from “doing it for fame/money” among other things.

OKBroadwayFan said: "Is the Vegas show about his life or is it utilizing his music?
"

It utilizes his music.

It utilizes his music but it's also "kinda" about him - they have his images and videos. It's bee a few years since I saw it, but I believe they have 4 or 5 people who "turn into MJ" when they put on his clothing and do a number but these numbers/staging is really a commentary about him, Leave Me Alone, for example.

Call_me_jorge said: "I could see possibly the show could be written in an anti Jackson fashion... but that could be a turn off for his followers and his estate."

There is no way his estate does not have script approval, and there is no way they would EVER allow the show to be anti-Jackson.

You can bet your life that whoever ends up writing this script (whether Nottage stays attached or not) is going to have to have on the biggest pair of rose-colored glasses ever.

Call_me_jorge said: "I could see possibly the show could be written in an anti Jackson fashion... but that could be a turn off for his followers and his estate.“



This has been documented elsewhere but the Jackson estate has full creative control over the show, so it’s impossible to conceive of any version that even alludes to the controversy. Similarly, as someone else has said above, it’s difficult to imagine Nottage wanting to remain on the project if she can’t find a way to make it a darker show than the Jackson estate would feel comfortable with. And even if she did, and even if the estate was comfortable with it, is that a show that people would want to see (or that investors would want to put money in)?

Two or three years ago I would’ve said this had the potential to be the biggest jukebox musical in history. Now, all I see (and all any theatre owner and most producers would see) is endless questions about whether the show is appropriate, likely protests outside the theatre, not a single article about the show that doesn’t mention the (alleged) abuses, and likely the near-complete loss of family audiences.

Two or three years ago I would’ve said this would be bigger than Mamma Mia, Beautiful and American Idiot combined, but no longer. Simply put, the property is now a hot potato that hardly anyone will want anything to do with. The Jackson estate may claim the show is moving forward for now- but in the end they won’t want to damage his legacy even further by having a Michael Jackson bio-musical go down in flames even faster and harder than jukebox musicals from The Go-Go’s and Jimmy Buffett.

bwayrose7 said: "Dave28282 said: "I would actually be shocked if the show is taken down, because there has been a trial already, and the boys, including these 2 have sworn nothing happened.

They happen to be looking for fame, followers and fortune and the parents are quite peculiar too.

Let the man rest."

Apologies if this takes the thread off topic (I will gladly delete if need be), but I find it so frustrating when this "they want fame!" line is trotted out as a reason why victims come forward with allegations of abuse. Take a look at the way the vast majority of accusers are treated: some believe them, yes, but they also wind up reliving horrible trauma, having their entire lives picked apart by people who want to discredit them, often getting so much attention and harassment that their lives are turned upside down. This is even bigger when it's alleging abuse by someone with a passionate, devoted fan base (like Jackson) - so please, tell me more about the amazing benefits of becoming "famous" for claiming abuse by a powerful and/or beloved public figure?

As others in this thread have pointed out, Jackson has and always will have his defenders; his musical legacy continues to rake in the money. I can't imagine going up against that kind of machine or ever truly thinking that the "fortune" could outweigh the negative attention and harassment."

Exactly. People also seem to have no idea how trauma works, especially childhood trauma.

bwayrose7 said: "I can't imagine truly thinking that the "fortune" could outweigh the negative attention and harassment."

Ask Jussie Smollett that. Negative attention or a victim role are also attention.

I believe the parents of these boys have always been very interested in Michael's fame and have accepted money before. They have a choice now to either be complete nobody's who once knew him or to be well known, use it and maybe earn a sum of money (again). It's not that far fetched.

The most important thing is that nobody draws any conclusion before a judge has done it.

Updated On: 3/5/19 at 05:30 PM

Dave28282 said: "The most important thing is that nobody draws any conclusion before a judge has done it."

That may prove difficult, given their lawsuit was dismissed for being filed too long after his death.

There is an appeal, but without a change in the law based on how sexual trauma works as far as the statute of limitations, it would also likely be denied.

That said, judging from Twitter last night, and the comments on the two Michael Jackson concerts the estate put on YouTube as counterprogramming to the documentary, there is certainly enough interest in him and enough people who will blindly refuse to believe any of this, seemingly enough to fill a theater 8X a week.

Being a parent of a child trying to make it in showbiz approached by the King of Pop in his heyday is very different than being much older person having seen the effects of their actions thirty years later.

and you’ll excuse me if I find whether or not you know of someone a totally absurd barometer of success.

Updated On: 3/5/19 at 05:47 PM

Knowing someone and success are 2 different things. But it also could just be money.

If it really was about being noble, getting over personal trauma and finding inner peace, dragging someone through the mud that has been dead for 10 years really isn't the solution. I would assume you would handle that a bit more privately. Come to terms with yourself and your parents. Away from public negativity. Maybe having a talk with your parents about why they were so blinded by the fame and fortune and the men could have explained to them why they are against that standpoint and why it's all about inner peace and maybe explain to them why the fame and public opinion does not matter at all. If that's their opinion of course. But that's between them.

Updated On: 3/5/19 at 05:58 PM

Now is just not the time to launch a Michael Jackson musical.

Maybe Lynn Nottage should instead write a serious drama about an author trying to figure out how to write a play about a very famous performer who's controversies won't go away but who's artistic achievements are still loved--seems a better use of her talents than a musical that has to be interrupted by another hit song every 3 minutes.

But also remember, Michael Jackson's particular private life seemed it would have ended any other career, but his legacy has survived previous disasters. As an example, at a certain point, Disney made Captain EO disappear from their parks but after a certain amount of time (and after his death) it was back in the parks for a second run (luckily for them, long over).