Review: Hee-hee! Does the King of Pop’s reign include Broadway with ‘MJ the Musical’?

“MJ the Musical” is a curiosity.

That’s not a shady comment. It’s not a curiosity of the eye-rolling, freak-show variety.

The Michael Jackson songbook is too good for that.

The Broadway touring production is more like that kind of curiosity that makes you — while considering it — involuntarily squint your eyes, cock your head to one side, all the while feeling a small smile begin to relax your lips as bemusement bubbles somewhere just under the surface. Y’know, epidermis entertainment.

You are intrigued. As you should be with the national tour that’s now playing at Miami’s Arsht Center through March 23 and then returning to SoFlo for a run at Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center from April 8 to 20.

“MJ the Musical” centers itself on Jackson readying himself for the 1992 Dangerous World Tour: The creative process swirling and whirling in the pop superstar’s mind; his mental torture from backstage battles born out of a childhood in showbiz; the haunting of family fracases ignited by an overbearing father; the financial pressure exacerbating everything; and the dynamic with the push-me-pull-me press.

It’s all there, in between the rehearsal sessions with a retinue mix of dancers, advisers, media — all conveyed by a cast playing double or even triple roles, frequently morphing from one character to the next midstride while crossing the stage.

Curious.

And though the tour started just before the legendary accusations and investigations, those controversies are always hovering (figuratively just offstage in the wings so that you can’t see them but you know they are there). A videographer tells Michael, “You could use some good press.”

The framework of the rehearsal works well for “MJ the Musical.” The musical’s book should trust it more. It’s all so frustratingly close to being triumphant, tripping itself up here and there for no good reason. Some moments derail the momentum, while others need to have the voltage upped. Diana Ross, the Gloved One’s Motown muse, isn’t even mentioned.

Curiouser and curiouser.

It’s as if the show is constructed like a pop song, trading in on familiar tropes used like building blocks in an aleatory fashion.

But buoyed by a throbbing band and set pieces that do their best to showcase Jackson’s megahits, we get a lot of songs with unexpected staging.

• “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” goes all Broadway-ish on us, and it works in an unlikely and surprising way.
• Putting aside the lyrics of “Human Nature,” it is the vibe that melds well in the introspective scene where it appears late in the second act.
• “Thriller” is a major showpiece with some wow-rrific stagecraft, and “Man in the Mirror” is a hummable hug that comes at just the right moment. Yes, there are a lot of mirrors, but it is slick and successful.

Not all are good fits.

• The song “You Can’t Win,” which was originally created for his role as the Scarecrow in the 1978 movie version of “The Wiz,” becomes a lecture from Motown founder Berry Gordy.
• “For The Love of Money” by The O’Jays — best known to some as the theme song for Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” reality TV show, and sung by Jackson on the Victory Tour — is forcefully wedged into the narrative, a jammed jam if ever there was one.
• There’s a whole Jackson 5 segment that feels underpowered and imprecise with “The Love You Save,” “I Want You Back” and “ABC.” It’s hard to reconcile those words with our J5 memories.

But then you take a look around at the audience. They are spellbound, paying rapt attention, for 2 1/2 hours with a 20-minute intermission. “MJ the Musical” is a people pleaser. Nothing curious about that.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “MJ the Musical”

WHEN/WHERE:

• March 18-23 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
• April 8-20 at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale

COST:

• Arsht Center: $49-$199
• Broward Center: $51-$229

INFORMATION:

Originally Published: March 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM EDT