Back in the early 1970s, Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson were fronting two of the music business’s top pop acts, The Osmonds and The Jackson 5, respectively. They were also 13 years old.
02.02.2022 - 07:03 / abcnews.go.com
NEW YORK -- The new, splashy Broadway musical about Michael Jackson begins with the King of Pop plotting an ambitious tour to reclaim his throne. He's facing financial ruin, swirling rumors and an addiction to pain pills. You'd think it was 2009, just weeks before his death.
That's the logical place to start. But logic has little to do with “MJ.”It's actually 1992 when Jackson kicks off the show by entering a Los Angeles rehearsal studio that serves as the jukebox musical's main set. He's putting the final touches on the “Dangerous” tour and drilling his exhausted dancers: “Do it until we get it clean.”We will soon melt back in time — back to the Jackson 5, “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” — but never forward.
Why 1992? Jackson will be on the “Dangerous” tour a year later when he is first formally accused of molestation, an allegation that will be settled. The Michael on Broadway will never face that, forever shielded.That's just one very large disingenuous note in an altogether baffling production that opened Tuesday at the Neil Simon Theatre. Like Jackson himself, there are moments of sheer genius punctuated by head-scratching weirdness.The portrait offered of Jackson is of a perfectionist, driven by his love of music and to give his fans the best possible experience, no matter the cost.
He's misunderstood and a little quirky — he shoots a squirt gun during a business meeting — but harmless. Not predatory, but prey. The only thing he's guilty of is caring too much for his charities.
Back in the early 1970s, Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson were fronting two of the music business’s top pop acts, The Osmonds and The Jackson 5, respectively. They were also 13 years old.
Paris Jackson is growing up before our eyes, showing off her evolving style as she grows more and more into her identity. On Saturday, February 12, Vas J Morgan and Michael Braun held a Valentine’s Day Party at Limitless Sunset in Los Angeles, which featured a bevy of celebrity guests, including Michael Jackson’s 23-year-old daughter.
Super Bowl halftime show. The hip-hop icons are to talk about their set at a midday news conference.The five music icons will perform at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Gordon Cox Theater EditorLynn Nottage has had a hat-trick of shows on New York stages this season: the new opera “Intimate Apparel,” the Michael Jackson musical “MJ” and the play “Clyde’s.” How does she top that?Listen to this week’s “Stagecraft” podcast below:By leaning into comedy. “I want to create theater that’s joyful,” the playwright said on the new episode of Stagecraft, Variety’s theater podcast.“I want people to leave feeling good,” she continued.
Michael Jackson’s legendary life is setting the biopic treatment.
Graham King, who produced the Oscar-winning Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” will produce the film with the executors of Jackson’s estate, John Branca and John McClain. Three-time Oscar nominated screenwriter John McClain, whose credits include “The Aviator” and “Gladiator,” will write the script.
After 40 years on screen, Samuel L. Jackson is starring in his first TV series. The 73-year-old actor plays a man suffering from dementia in the upcoming Apple TV+ limited series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey”. In anticipation of the six-part series’ March debut, the streaming platform debuted the first trailer, giving audiences a look at the moving adaptation of Walter Mosley’s best-selling novel.
Samuel L. Jackson is starring in his first TV series.
Michael Jackson's kids are celebrating his legacy. On Tuesday night, the late pop star's daughter Paris, 23, and sons Prince, 24, and Blanket, 19, were spotted at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City. The famed theater is currently home to "MJ The Musical," which recounts the King of Pop's creation of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour.
Paris Jackson and her brothers supported the legacy of their father, Michael Jackson, attending the premiere of MJ: The Musical, in New York City. Paris was wearing a gorgeous red wrap dress and red velvet boots.Michael Jackson’s son Bigi speaks about his father’s legacy and his plans with siblings Paris and PrinceParis Jackson wears Madonna-inspired cone bra at star-studded Las Vegas restaurant launchOn the red carpet, Paris was accompanied by her older brother Prince, 24, who sported a traditional suit and tie.
Michael Appler On Tuesday evening in New York City, “MJ The Musical,” a new biographical musical celebrating the life and work of Michael Jackson, opened on Broadway.“MJ The Musical,” written by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and produced in arrangement with the Michael Jackson estate, depicts the rehearsal process for Jackson’s 1992 “Dangerous” world tour—set one year before allegations of sexual misconduct first surfaced about the artist.And the show’s backers were quick to shut down any mention of the scandal that still clouds the King of Pop’s life and legacy at the red-carpet premiere of the musical, kicking out a Variety journalist for bringing up the topic of Jackson’s alleged abuse. In response to questions that asked how audience members should balance potential discomfort with enjoyment of the show’s theatrical artistry, cast members gave considered and conscientious responses.
Michael Jackson's kids are supporting the musical about him. On Tuesday, Paris, Prince and Blanket «Bigi» Jackson stepped out for the opening of MJ: The Musical at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre in New York City.Paris opted for a paisley printed midi dress and ankle boots for the event.
Paris Jackson makes a rare appearance with both of her brothers – Prince and Blanket – as they head to the “MJ: The Michael Jackson Musical” opening night event held at Neil Simon Theatre on Tuesday (February 1) in New York City.
Naveen Kumar In answer to the question of whether it’s possible to separate the art from the artist, “MJ” performs a slick, crotch-grabbing sidestep. Packed with nearly 40 hits from Michael Jackson’s irresistible catalogue, the Broadway production from director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon is not so much a biomusical as a high-shine and surface-skimming rehabilitation tour for its late subject, flattening rather than reckoning with his complex legacy.“With respect, I wanna keep this about my music,” insists Jackson early on, played in the story’s present day by Myles Frost, impressive in perhaps an impossible role.
Moving to California was a huge massive culture shock for the Jackson family.