MJ – The Musical at Paramount Theatre

Get ready to sing your heart out as the four-time Tony winning musical is coming to Seattle!! Based on the rehearsal of Michael Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ the Musical is a well crafted jukebox nostalgia trip that delivers a parade of chart toppers, featuring twenty five of his global smash hits.
Michael Jackson’s legacy is brought to life on the stage by the choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, two-time Pulitzer winner playwright Lynn Nottage (“Ruined,” “Sweat”) as well as an impressive cast that is led by the talented Elijah Rhea Johnson. Propelled by dancing and iconic songs from the King of Pop, the jukebox musical dives into Michael Jackson’s life, controversies, and legacy.

This night is not to be missed!! Widely known as the premier performing arts venue in town, MJ the Musical at the Paramount Theatre is going to be an epic show filled with unforgettable entertainment!

MJ – The Musical Tickets:

“The choreography and music are simply outstanding!” – New York City Theater

“A riveting, adrenaline rush of a show” – Washington Post

“MJ is a truly amazing show” – Stage and Cinema

“The perfect salutation to the life of an imperfect but gifted icon” – New York Theatre Guide

Synopsis

The musical is based on the rehearsals for Michael Jackson’s infamous Dangerous tour with the smash hit “Beat It”. When the song has ended, Michael Jackson speaks to an MTV reporter who has got a unique interview with him. “With respect, I wanna keep this about my music,” he says. “Is it really possible to separate your life from your music?” she asks, and Michael Jackson replies “Just because you read it in a magazine / Or see it on a TV screen, don’t make it factual.”
MJ The Musical is a show that explores Michael Jackson’s starstudded life and controversies as an American superstar. Often dubbed the King of Pop, the jukebox musical looks at Michael Jackson’s creative force, trademark dance moves, and his rise to fame as a young popstar, all the while shocasing over twenty five of his global smash hits including Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror, Beat It and Smooth Criminal. AMAZING!
The show takes spectators behind the scenes of Michael Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour, shedding light on his artistic processes. As the King of Pop and his collaborators rehearse their legendary setlist, viewers are transported to the critical moments that shaped his iconic career as a powerhouse entertainer. MJ the Musical stretches beyond his signature dance moves and one of a kind sound, boasting a rare peek at the creative mind that catapulted Michael Jackson into icon status.

Creative team

The production is written by the playwright Lynn Nottage, and directed and choreographed by Tony Award winning Christopher Wheeldon. Wheeldon said: “The show is very much anchored in one particular moment in time. – I always bring up the fabulous movie that Spielberg made about Lincoln: You take one key moment, I suppose, in the history of someone’s life and then sort of use that as an anchor point for past storytelling and, perhaps, some kind of prophecy of what’s to come. We’ll be doing that with this story.”

Elijah Rhea Johnson plays Michael Jackson. Meanwhile David Holcenberg is head of Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements, Jason Michael Webb wears the hat of Musical Direction, Orchestrations and Arrangements. Other cast members of the creative team include the likes of: Derek Mclane (scenic design), Gareth Owen (sound design), Joe Dulude II (makeup design), Strange Cranium Billy Jay Stein (electronic music design), Natasha Katz (lighting design), Peter Nigrini (projection design), Dontee Kiehn (global associate director), Thomas Recktenwald (production stage manager), John Miller (music coordinator), Paul Tazewell (costume design), Charles Lapointe (hair and wig design), Michael Balderrama (global associate choreographer), Rich and Tone Talauega (Michael Jackson movement).
“The majority of the story is set inside a spacious, industrial dance rehearsal studio, but throughout the musical we find ourselves repeatedly transported into Michael’s mind — his memories and his dreams. The alternating between dream sequences and reality gives us the chance to repeatedly surprise the audience,” Derek McLane exclaimed in the press release.

History and awards

MJ The Musical was first announced back in 2018 and it debuted its very first show on 6th December 2021. One year later, MJ The Musical was put up for nominations for 10 Tony Awards, with the Broadway smash hit winning four awards such as Best Actor, Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design. They also were nominated for as many as 13 Theatre Fans’ Choice Awards, 3 Drama League Awards, 7 Outer Critics Circle Awards (with Christopher Wheeldon and Rich + Tone Talauega winning the Outstanding Choreographer award), 7 Drama Desk Awards (winning Outstanding Orchestrations, Outstanding Lighting Design, and Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical), and 3 Chitra Rivera Awards. WOW! And that’s not all! In 2023, the original cast recording was put up for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.