Lynn Nottage Speaks Up About Michael Jackson Musical- 'I'm Very Committed to This Collaboration'

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage is currently at work developing the book of a stage musical based on the life and career of music legend Michael Jackson.

Following the premiere of the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland earlier this year, in which two men allege sexual abuse at the hands of Jackson, some questions arose as to how the musical would approach the history of pedophilia and sexual abuse allegations brought against the singer.

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, Nottage, who last week said she found Jackson's accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck to be believable, has confirmed that she is continuing work on the show, with the hopes of telling the story of a person who was "a genius but...immensely flawed," according to The Daily Mail.

Now Nottage and director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon are speaking up about their feelings in the New York Times. "You can't watch the documentary without being profoundly disturbed by it, but again, we're not judge and jury," says Wheeldon. "In our process, we're facing it pretty much head on, but we're also studying the many facets of Michael Jackson."

When asked if she had considered walking away from the project, Nottage responded: "I'm very committed to this collaboration with Chris. We have, up until this point, created a piece of art that I feel very proud of, and I think it would be a damn shame to walk away from it now. We created a piece of art that's very truthful and very beautiful."

What would Nottage ask of fans? "I would ask that the fans be respectful to the process, and trust us as artists. And I do in some ways feel up to the challenge of telling this story, as scary as it is, because of the great divide that exists. But, in this day and age, I feel like if we as artists run away from complexity, then who are we?"

Click here to read the full interview.

Michael Jackson Musical Details

The Michael Jackson Estate and Columbia Live Stage announced that they are developing a stage musical inspired by the life of "The King of Pop" last summer.

Jackson was one of the most popular entertainers in the world, and was the best-selling music artist during the year of his death. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

The eighth child of the Jackson family, Michael made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5. He began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. His music videos, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller, are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these videos helped bring the television channel MTV to fame. Jackson's 1987 album Bad spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana", becoming the first album to have five number-one singles in the nation. He continued to innovate with videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" throughout the 1990s, and forged a reputation as a touring solo artist.

Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous artists of various music genres.