Broadway's MJ has announced a West End run at London's Prince Edward Theatre beginning in March 2024. Inspired by the life and art of the late Michael Jackson, the musical is set during the making of the music icon's 1992 Dangerous world tour.
Tickets for the London run will go on sale in spring 2023.
MJ features a book penned by two-time Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage (Ruined, Sweat) and direction and choreography by Royal Ballet Associate Artist Christopher Wheeldon (An American in Paris).
“I am thrilled that MJ will come to London, having been embraced by New York audiences since it opened," says Wheeldon in a statement. "Michael Jackson had a profound influence on popular culture, as well as all of us as performing artists, and this musical is an exploration of that artistic mind and a creative process which is unmistakably Michael Jackson. It has offered us the opportunity to put one of the greatest catalogues of pop music ever written up onstage in a show that combines the thrill and energy of a Michael Jackson concert with a glimpse into a pivotal moment of his pioneering career. After many years working with the Royal Ballet and bringing the Tony Award-winning American In Paris to the West End, I now very much look forward to bringing MJ to U.K. audiences.”
"As a Black musician and a pioneering voice in the music industry, Michael Jackson demanded inclusion, broke incredible barriers and in the process made indelible music that continues to resonate, delight and move listeners today," adds Nottage. "I am drawn to his complicated, singular and uncompromising creative process, and to understand where, why, and how he made his music."
Casting for the London run will be announced at a later date.
The biomusical began previews on Broadway December 6, 2021 and officially opened February 1, 2022. It went on to take home four 2022 Tony Awards. The show's director-choreographer Christopher Wheeldon took home Best Choreography while Myles Frost won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Natasha Katz won for Best Lighting Design of a Musical, and Gareth Owen won for Best Sound Design of a Musical.
The show's creative team also features Tony- and Emmy-winning scenic designer Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Tony- and Emmy-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell (Hamilton), Tony-nominated projection designer Peter Nigrini (Dear Evan Hansen), and Emmy-nominated hair and wig designer Charles LaPointe (The Color Purple). Musical supervision is by Tony nominee David Holcenberg (Matilda), with orchestrations and arrangements by David Holcenberg and Tony winner Jason Michael Webb (The Color Purple).
For more information, visit MJTheMusical.com.
Myles Frost
Myles Frost and company of MJ
Tavon Olds-Sample and Myles Frost
Quentin Earl Darrington and Myles Frost
Myles Frost and company of MJ
Myles Frost in the original Broadway cast of MJ
Myles Frost and company of MJ
