Broadway's MJ will make Broadway history as it celebrates its opening night and Black History Month by becoming the first production in Playbill history to offer four unique cover designs to theatregoers. Each audience member will receive one of the four designs throughout the month of February.
Each cover design features an illustration of an iconic Michael Jackson pose by world-renowned illustrator Nate Giorgio, who enjoyed a long friendship and working relationship with the pop icon after contracting to create a series of paintings for Jackson in 1984. Giorgio's paintings were not only displayed in Jackson's home, but used in some of his other projects as well, including his book of poetry, Dancing the Dream; calendars; and other merchandise.
Theatre fans looking to collect the complete set of history-making Playbills can head to PlaybillStore.com, where they're being sold as a complete set as well as individually.
"We are thrilled to see this initiative come to life as yet another 'first' in our company and brand’s 138-year history," shares Playbill Vice President Alex Birsh. "Playbill is always proud to continue our longstanding tradition as the premier keepsake of your time at a Broadway show, and we can’t wait to share these special collectors’ items with theatregoers this month. We hope the audience has lots of fun comparing the different designs while sitting in the theatre, enjoying them as the lights dim, and then again when they cherish them at home as mementos."
Take a look at the four special MJ Playbill covers below:
MJ Playbill - Opening Night
MJ Playbill - Opening Night
MJ Playbill - Opening Night
MJ Playbill - Opening Night
While MJ is the first in Playbill's history to offer four separate covers, it is not the first to have multiple cover variations. 2019's Sea Wall/A Life and Hillary and Clinton both featured dual cover designs, each spotlighting one of the production's two stars individually, and Off-Broadway's Oleanna did similarly in 1992.
