MJ the Musical: The Complete Guide — Michael Jackson on Broadway
MJ the Musical
MEMORABILIA AVAILABLE HERE
Book by Lynn Nottage • Direction & Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon
Broadway • February 1, 2022 • Neil Simon Theatre
MJ
The King of Pop — Live on BroadwayDon’t Stop
‘Til You Get Enough
MJ the Musical is a jukebox musical about the life of Michael Jackson, focusing on his creative genius and personal struggles in the days leading up to his Dangerous World Tour in 1992. With a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and direction and choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, the show was backed by the Michael Jackson Estate and features some of the most iconic songs in pop music history.
After years of development, pandemic delays, and a last-minute leading man change, MJ opened at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway on 1 February 2022 — and immediately became a box office phenomenon. Myles Frost, who replaced originally cast Ephraim Sykes, won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and the show won three additional Tonys: Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design. The production has since broken the Neil Simon Theatre box office record eleven times.
Critical reception was mixed — reviewers praised the spectacle, choreography and Frost’s electrifying performance while some critiqued Nottage’s book — but audiences were near-unanimous in their enthusiasm, giving the show a 91% audience score on Broadway and 93% in London.
The Michael Jackson Estate’s Vision
The musical was announced in June 2018 with the backing of Michael Jackson’s Estate. Director Christopher Wheeldon described his approach: “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 in the history of someone’s life and use that as an anchor point for past storytelling and, perhaps, some kind of prophecy of what’s to come.” On choreography, Wheeldon said he intended to put “quite a lot of Michael’s work in the show” — a promise spectacularly kept.
The StoryThe Man in the Mirror
The show is set in June 1992, as Michael Jackson and his company are preparing for rehearsals for the upcoming Dangerous World Tour — the first show in Munich, Germany is in two days. Manager Rob has the cast warming up when Jackson arrives to oversee the process, leading to the explosive opening number: “Beat It.”
The Interview
As Jackson shares his newest ideas for the tour with Rob, journalist Rachel arrives with her cameraman Alejandro, hoping for an interview. Jackson sits with Rachel and opens up — recounting the terrors he suffered as a child, his formative experiences with Berry Gordy at Motown, and his legendary collaborations with Quincy Jones in recording Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. The interview becomes the structural thread through which the show weaves flashbacks and performance.
The Press Conference — Heal the World
Rob and Nick escort Jackson to a press conference at Radio City Music Hall, where he presents his tour and announces his ambition to raise $100 million for the Heal the World Foundation by Christmas 1993 — leading to powerful performances of “Earth Song” and “They Don’t Care About Us.” Back in rehearsal, Jackson proposes spectacular ideas for the show — new staging for “Billie Jean” and “Smooth Criminal” — only for Rob and Dave to tell him they’re financially impossible. After Rob’s negative feedback, Jackson reminds him of Quincy Jones’s guiding counsel: “Keep the faith. Don’t let nobody take you down.”
Human Nature — Hidden in Plain Sight
During a break in rehearsal, a commotion breaks out. Rob tries to keep Rachel away from Jackson, but Jackson disguises himself as a cleaner and finds her. He explains to her that disguise is the only way he can move freely in public — leading to a tender, melancholy performance of “Human Nature.” After rehearsal, Jackson explains to Rachel how emotional he feels about being loved by fans — and how wounded by the press. He recalls performing at the Apollo Theater with The Jackson 5, and asks the question at the heart of the show: “Is it perfect?” — leading into “Man in the Mirror.”
The First Night
Jackson prepares to take the stage for the first show of the Dangerous Tour. The show builds to a tremendous finale: “Jam (Reprise),” “Black or White,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Reprise)” — a full-scale concert experience that brings the audience to their feet.
The SongsThriller,
Billie Jean,
Beat It.
The score of MJ the Musical draws on Michael Jackson’s full catalogue — from his Jackson 5 era through his solo imperial phase. The show features over 25 of his most iconic songs, staged with the kind of choreographic precision and theatrical spectacle that Jackson himself would have demanded. On Halloween performances, the cast performed a special closing number of “Thriller.”
The Original Cast Recording
Recording for the original Broadway cast album took place on 7 and 8 February 2022, just days after the show officially opened. The album was released on 15 July 2022 and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, bringing Michael Jackson’s music back into the Grammy conversation in a new context.
Production HistoryThe Road to Broadway
The musical was officially announced in June 2018 with the backing of the Michael Jackson Estate. Christopher Wheeldon (direction/choreography) and Lynn Nottage (book) were attached from the start. Originally titled Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, a pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago at the Nederlander Theatre was planned for 2019.
The Michael Jackson Estate cancelled the Chicago pre-Broadway tryout due to “scheduling difficulties” caused by an Actors’ Equity Association strike. The production would go straight to Broadway instead. In November 2019, Ephraim Sykes was announced as Michael Jackson.
The show was scheduled to premiere on Broadway in mid-2020. COVID-19 forced a postponement. In June 2021, it was announced that Ephraim Sykes had been replaced by Myles Frost in the title role.
Previews began 6 December 2021. Official opening: 1 February 2022. Myles Frost as Michael Jackson. Won 4 Tony Awards. Broke the Neil Simon Theatre box office record eleven times. Frost departed in March 2023; Elijah Rhea Johnson took over through August 2025, when Matte Martinez stepped in. Grossed over $300 million as of December 2025.
The national tour launched at the Nederlander Theatre, Chicago — the venue originally planned for the pre-Broadway tryout. The tour played to over 1.5 million patrons. Jamaal Fields-Green took over as Jackson in July 2024; Jordan Markus then stepped into the role in February 2025.
Previews began 6 March 2024; official opening night 27 March 2024. Myles Frost reprised his role as Jackson — the Tony-winning performance seen again on London’s West End. Jamaal Fields-Green later joined in January 2025. The production closed 28 February 2026 after nearly two years. It achieved a 93% audience score. A UK tour is planned for 2027.
A German production opened at the prestigious Stage Theater an der Elbe in Hamburg in December 2024. Dialogue is in German with the musical numbers remaining in English — reflecting the international reach of Jackson’s catalogue.
Australian production opened at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on 26 February 2025 with Roman Banks as Jackson. After the Sydney run closed 23 August 2025, the Melbourne production arrived at Her Majesty’s Theatre with Ilario Grant leading as Jackson from 9 September 2025.
The show’s first international Asia tour is set to begin in October 2026, playing major cities across the continent for an initial two-year run. A UK tour is scheduled for 2027. The worldwide expansion continues.
The Creative TeamBehind the Magic
Myles Frost — Tony-Winning Michael Jackson
Originally unknown to Broadway, Myles Frost was cast as Michael Jackson in June 2021 after Ephraim Sykes departed the production. What he delivered was one of the most talked-about performances of recent Broadway seasons — a full-body transformation that captured Jackson’s physicality, vocal quality, and ineffable magnetism. The Washington Post called it “utterly persuasive”; Newsweek said the show was “a living, breathing, even breathless, music video.” Frost won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2022. He went on to reprise the role at the West End’s Prince Edward Theatre in March 2024.
Lynn Nottage — Two-Time Pulitzer Playwright
Lynn Nottage is one of America’s most celebrated playwrights — a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for Ruined and Sweat. Her book for MJ takes the unusual structural approach of using a documentary interview (fictional journalist Rachel) as the frame through which Jackson’s life, memories, and artistic process are explored. Critics were divided on the book — some found it exposition-heavy, others found the frame device an elegant solution to the challenge of staging a life as publicly scrutinised as Jackson’s.
Christopher Wheeldon — Direction & Choreography
Christopher Wheeldon is one of the world’s pre-eminent ballet choreographers — previously responsible for the Broadway production of An American in Paris. His choreography for MJ won the Tony Award for Best Choreography. The challenge was staggering: recreating Michael Jackson’s movement with performers who must inhabit rather than merely imitate it. By all accounts, Wheeldon met it fully.
Design Team
Scenery was designed by Derek McLane; costuming by Paul Tazewell (a multiple Tony winner). Natasha Katz won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design; Peter Nigrini handled projection design. Gareth Owen won the Tony Award for Best Sound Design. Together, they created a production Deadline’s Greg Evans described as “visually and sonically ravishing.”
Awards & RecognitionFour Tony Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Musical | MJ the Musical | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Myles Frost | WON ✦ |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Choreography | Christopher Wheeldon | WON ✦ |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Natasha Katz | WON ✦ |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Gareth Owen | WON ✦ |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Book of a Musical | Lynn Nottage | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Derek McLane | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Projection Design | Peter Nigrini | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Wig and Hair Design | Charles LaPointe | Nominated |
| 2022 | Chita Rivera Award | Outstanding Choreography — Broadway | Christopher Wheeldon | WON ✦ |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Myles Frost | Nominated |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Choreography | Christopher Wheeldon | Nominated |
| 2022 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Original Broadway Cast Recording | Nominated |
| 2025 | Olivier Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Myles Frost (West End) | Nominated |
| 2025 | Olivier Award | Best Theatre Choreographer | Christopher Wheeldon (West End) | Nominated |
Box OfficeThe Numbers Don’t Lie
MJ the Musical has been one of the most financially successful Broadway shows of the post-pandemic era — a rare case of a production that sustained massive box office throughout its run rather than experiencing the typical decline after opening weeks.
Following the Tony Awards ceremony, the weekly gross jumped to $1,661,000 — the biggest single-week box office jump on Broadway that week — with sold-out shows and brisk advance sales. By September 2022, it had broken the Neil Simon Theatre’s box office record five times; it has now broken it eleven times in total. MJ has ranked amongst the top five highest-grossing annual Broadway shows each year since its release.
Critical Reception — Mixed Reviews, Rapturous Audiences
Positive: Deadline called it “visually and sonically ravishing.” The Washington Post: “a riveting, adrenaline rush of a show” with Frost “utterly persuasive.” The Chicago Tribune praised it as “beautiful to experience throughout, which one almost never can say about jukebox musicals.” Amsterdam News called it “spectacular,” “stunning,” and “off-the-charts.” Newsweek: “a living, breathing, even breathless, music video.”
Mixed: Broadway News critiqued the book, writing that “clichés, preachy speeches, and baldly obvious dialogue abound.” Time Out’s Adam Feldman: “I left the theater entertained, but not convinced I had seen the man in the smoke and mirrors.” The New York Times found the show “inherently hollow.”
Audiences disagreed with the critics — giving the show a 91% score on Broadway and 93% in London, making it one of the most audience-beloved productions of the decade.
