MJ The Musical

A two-time Pulitzer laureate frames the King of Pop's story around a single tour rehearsal.

The Michael Jackson Estate commissions Lynn Nottage, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright behind Sweat and Ruined, to write the book for a new jukebox musical. Rather than a cradle-to-grave biography, Nottage crafts a story set during a single pressure-cooker moment: rehearsals for the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. The framing device allows Jackson's music to emerge organically, driven by the creative tension of putting a show together.

Wheeldon's ballet rigour reframes the moonwalk as choreographic language, not showmanship.

Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, known for his work on An American in Paris, is announced as director and choreographer. It is a significant choice. Wheeldon's background in ballet brings a physical precision to Jackson's iconic moves, treating the moonwalk and the lean not as party tricks but as choreographic vocabulary. The production begins to take shape with a creative team that includes scenic designer Derek McLane and costume designer Paul Tazewell.

Even a global shutdown had its silver lining; the creative team used the enforced pause to sharpen the production.

MJ The Musical had been scheduled to begin Broadway previews in the summer of 2020. The global shutdown of live theatre forces a postponement. The delay, while frustrating, gives the creative team additional time to refine the production. Casting continues behind the scenes, with an extensive search for a performer capable of embodying Jackson's singular physicality and vocal range.

At just 22, Myles Frost earned standing ovations from the very first preview.

Previews begin on 6 December 2021 at the Neil Simon Theatre on West 52nd Street. Myles Frost, just 22 years old, leads the cast as Michael Jackson. The production features over 25 of Jackson's songs, from early Jackson 5 hits through to the Dangerous era. Audiences respond immediately: the show's combination of spectacular choreography and a surprisingly thoughtful book draws standing ovations from the first preview.

MJ took four Tonys in June 2022, with Myles Frost claiming Best Leading Actor and joining the ranks of the youngest ever winners in that category.

MJ officially opens on 1 February 2022 and quickly becomes one of Broadway's hottest tickets. At the 75th Tony Awards in June, the show wins four awards: Best Choreography for Christopher Wheeldon, Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Myles Frost (making him one of the youngest ever winners in the category), Best Lighting Design for Natasha Katz, and Best Sound Design for Gareth Owen. The production receives ten nominations in total.

Broadway in a suitcase: the national tour carried the full staging, intact, to audiences across America.

A US national touring production launches, bringing MJ to cities across America. The tour replicates the Broadway staging with remarkable fidelity, ensuring audiences outside New York experience the same choreographic precision and technical ambition. Meanwhile, plans for international productions begin to crystallise, with London confirmed as the first overseas destination.

London and Hamburg both raised the curtain on MJ's European debut in the same week.

MJ The Musical opens at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End on 27 March 2024, following previews from 6 March. The production marks the show's European premiere. A simultaneous German-language production opens in Hamburg. London critics note the sheer athleticism of the ensemble and the cleverness of Nottage's book in sidestepping the more conventional biographical approach. The Prince Edward Theatre, on Old Compton Street in the heart of Soho, proves an ideal home for the show's high-energy staging.

Over 1,300 Broadway performances before closing in January 2025, the show has since grown into a worldwide theatrical franchise.

An Australian production opens in 2025, extending the show's global footprint. The Broadway production closes on 12 January 2025 after over 1,300 performances, a strong three-year run by any measure. The West End production continues to draw audiences at the Prince Edward Theatre, with an Asia tour and UK tour announced for 2026 and 2027 respectively. What began as a single Broadway production has become a worldwide theatrical franchise built on the enduring power of Jackson's music.