The Tony-winning show MJ: The Musical opened in February of 2022. Since that day, the Neil Simon Theatre has not had an open seat in its house. Fans flooded the theatre awaiting the show, some who were returning, some seeing the show for the first time. MJ won Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical, Myles Frost, who originated the role of MJ, as well as Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design. MJ is the story of Michael Jackson’s life, from his years in Jackson 5 to the opening night of his 1990’s “Dangerous World Tour” tour as the crowd goes wild!
The story alternated from timeline to timeline, but whatever experience MJ was going through at that moment, a song was showcased that he had written about that time. Knowing so little about his life, this show was eye-opening. Being in that audience for the first time was the best Broadway experience of 2025. Yes, it’s been three years since this show had taken its first bow, and it still sells out every night. Every aspect of this show made the experience better: sets, lights, costumes, cast, and soundtrack. The soundtrack spanned from Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” to MJ’s “Man In The Mirror,” and the soundtrack followed his story perfectly.
First off, The cast of the musical was fantastic. All three MJ’s from kid to adult looked, sounded, and moved just like the king of pop himself. It was amazing to see someone move like MJ; the skill and technique it takes to not only dance, but talk and sing like him too must have taken a lot of work. At the performance I attended, MJ’s understudy was on and if he was only the understudy, I can’t imagine what his actual actor is like. The cast was fairly small compared to most other shows, but everyone gave it their all in telling his story
MJ: The Musical revolves around an MJ documentary that was being filmed right before his 1990’s tour. MJ talked about his life and the moments were portrayed through flashbacks, starting with his introduction to musical talent, which was his school talent show at the age of five. This was the first time “his parents truly saw him,” he explained. They seemed to be so proud of him, and once he got noticed for his talent by the music industry, he was living a dream. But then, one night on tour everything fell apart. Many MJ fans know he had some daddy issues, but watching six-year-old MJ cry to his mother screaming, “I hate him,” after being hit by his father brought tears to the eyes of the audience. This scene was followed by his mother singing MJ’s famous song, “I’ll Be There,” while holding the small kid in her arms. As the lights dimmed on that scene, the audience wiped away their tears as they were transported back to the 90s.
MJ definitely didn’t have an easy life, and as tensions in his life grew, so did the intensity of his music. An example of this is right before intermission with a mash-up of “Earth Song” and “They Don’t Really Care About Us” as the actors flooded the stage. Reporters were swarming MJ with questions, crowding him, and as he got more and more overwhelmed, the backdrop, which was originally formed as a camera, shattered and shards of glass appeared to surround MJ. This is also an example how the tiniest set detail makes all the difference.
In Act Two, one of the most emotional parts of the musical was watching a flashback of MJ when he was younger getting talked down to by his father. He is being lectured that he has to be better, when he is only a small child, and doesn’t deserve to be pushed around. As his father backs away, young MJ stares directly into the audience and starts to sing “It’s close to midnight, and something evil’s lurking in the dark.” As he sings a slowed version of “Thriller,” the lyrics behind the song make so much more sense; on the outside, the song seemed like just another Halloween song, but learning that the song was about his father was a pierce through your heart. Once the older Michael looking back at the flashback began to sing, that started the tears again. Once their duet was over there were so many moving parts to the stage you didn’t even realize the Father had come back out- this time dressed as a puppeteer, and as MJ fell into his arms, he began to be puppeteered by his own father. That’s what the song is about; that “something evil” was his dad. This shines light on his past and gives the song so much more meaning than it did before.
So much more happened throughout his life, and seeing the world through the eyes of someone so legendary as MJ was an experience. Getting in his head, learning his demons and the way he bended to his own will and not everyone else’s, is something that separated him from every other artist during his time.
Through MJ: The Musical, Michael Jackson’s legacy lives on and he will be with his fans and remembered forever. This show deserves a 5/5! If it was possible to give it higher, I would. I highly recommend seeing the show. Whether you’re just a fan of his music or want to know his history, if you can find tickets, grab them! It will be the best three hours of your life. This is definitely a show that is under-hyped and underappreciated.