MJ The Musical Is a Thriller at The Fabulous fox

 

–by Meka H.

 

Being the Michael Jackson fan that I am, I began watching MJ The Musical Tuesday night at The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis with a critical eye. No one moves or sounds quite like the King of Pop, and once you have watched his performances literally hundreds of times, you begin to look for the precision and sequencing of his notes and dance steps whenever anyone takes on the challenge of emulating him.

With that said, throughout the play, I struggled with Jordan Markus’ attempt to mimic Michael’s speaking voice. However, his ability to capture the essence of Michael’s dancing, mannerisms and playfulness fueled my willing suspension of disbelief. The two areas where I believe Jordan truly shined were his ability to portray the shade Michael was known for throwing and, most importantly, to emote passion through his singing. Jordan’s performance of “Stranger in Moscow” was chillingly beautiful and showcased his skillful vocal control.

An unexpected and delightful surprise was the guitar solo performed by Julia Levin during the first act. Eddie Van Halen would be proud.

Little Michael, played by Eric Wiltz, delivered a powerful performance. It was an overload of cuteness and talent as he belted out some of Michael Jackson’s greatest childhood hits and recreated some of the superstar’s early dance moves. Eric’s small stature matched his pitch, but certainly not the power behind his pure and lovely voice.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Brandon Lee Harris portray Micheal during his teenage and young adult years. There were moments when, if I closed my eyes, he sounded pitch-perfectly like Micheal himself, and it was exciting to watch him dance. Of the three actors portraying Micheal, each seemed fully committed and locked into their roles, but Brandon appeared to be having the most fun.

I loved how Michael’s influences were woven throughout the production, from James Brown and Fred Astaire to Bob Fosse and The Nicholas Brothers, often showing side-by-side comparisons of the actors dancing alongside a clip of his muses. The dancers overall were impressive, executing movements with control and precision that emphasized dramatic moments and elements of the story. I didn’t recognize much of the choreography during the “Smooth Criminal” performance, but I found it entertaining, nonetheless. Transitions between musical performances were beautifully and artfully executed. And the costumes! The costumes were creative, thoughtfully designed, and true to the time period.

I can appreciate how, throughout the play, the writer and director continuously reminded us of the impact Joseph Jackson’s stern child-rearing, the media’s obsession with tabloid stories, and Michael’s use of prescription drugs had not only on Michael himself, but also on those around him. Those close enough to bear witness to these struggles were faced with the difficult question of whether and how to intervene. If they spoke up, they risked losing their jobs or causing further harm by making the issue public. However, if they remained silent, they risked enabling him and allowing the harm to continue. The tension created by this ongoing dilemma helped shed light on the beautiful tragedy of this mysterious superstar.

To wrap this up, I will share my thorn and rose from the play.

 

Thorn: Rajané Katurah, who portrayed Katherine Jackson, has a beautiful voice—the kind that can move someone to tears. She is fully capable of taking a song and making it her own. However, when covering songs as iconic as “Man in the Mirror”, it is difficult not to feel disappointed by changes in the melody.

 

Rose: The highlight—and most memorable moment—was hands down the “Thriller” performance in the final act. It was top-tier. Everything from dancing to set design and transitions was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I found myself smiling from ear to ear while also feeling slightly frightened by some of the oversized figures. The masks and costumes were outstanding, and both Jordan Markus and Devin Bowles stole the show with that performance. Truly a chef’s kiss.

MJ The Musical runs through Sunday and tickets can be found HERE.

Next up is Hadestown with a short run from May 29-31.