Review: MJ at Shea's Buffalo Theatre

The king of pop surely had a storied musical career that went from child star to tabloid fodder in his all too short life. The life of Michael Jackson, now the Broadway musical MJ, is igniting the stage of Shea's Buffalo Theatre through June 16th. Fear not , the moon walk, the infamous sparkly glove and that unmistakable breathy speaking voice is all there, but is that really enough to make a great musical?

It seems every major singer of the last five decades or so is, or soon will be, having their own bio-musical, full of their own personal catalog of songs. Think Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, ABBA, Gloria Estefan, Elvis, Johnny Cash.. well, you get the picture. The rise in popularity of the so called Jukebox Musical seems to be catering to New York City tourists who are looking for a sure fire show where they will recognize the music and be entertained by big production numbers. Stringing along random songs to be shoehorned into a life's story is often a feeble attempt at creating drama, or comedy.

MJ plays out over  a two day period in which Michael is preparing for his DANGEROUS WORLD TOUR, and employs a probing documentary reporter  who is given limited access to observe and question the star. We're in an LA rehearsal studio in 1992, and through flashbacks and dance rehearsals, we learn of the wonder kid's life story.

Three different actors play Michael with Roman Banks getting  his shot at the pop icon of 1992, and he plays the part with total conviction. From the breathy speaking voice, to the hooting and clipped falsetto singing, along with a hint of boyish naughtiness, he has Michael mastered. But his dancing is what sets him apart-- he glides as if on air, contorts with precision angular gestures and breaks into dance at the drop of his hat. Act II gives glimpse into his idols like Fred Astaire, Bob Fosse and the  Nicholas Brothers, but the ensemble was often sloppy and the Fosse precision was lacking

Brandon Lee Harris is perfect as the Michael Jackson of the thriller era, while Bane Griffith plays the youngest Michael , and  he is heartwarming as he sings the beloved ABC!

The entire cast does double duty, changing from the cast and crew of the 1992 tour, to family members from the past. We meet the Jackson brothers, Berry Gordy, and Quincy Jones along the way.  Anastasia Talley lends a nice dose of motherly love to the role of Michael's mom, Katherine.

Choreography and Direction by Christopher Wheeldon draw largely from the well documented videos of Jackson's work and the cast all have mastered the moves we've come to expect.

The book by Lynn Nottage is serviceable, but rarely dynamic.  The language is often uninspired and plays like one of those 1970's Made for TV Movies. Every now and then there are glimpses of magic, most notably late in the second act when Michael breaks out of a flashback confrontation with his family and immediately dances madly to release the tension and the bad memories that flooded his existence. The show references his addiction to pain killers, but glosses over some of the most dramatic parts of his later  life-- the famous fire that burned much of his head surely could have  explored more to add some needed drama, to say nothing of his unusual behaviors, friendships with stars like Elizabeth Taylor, and rumblings of his fascination with young children.

His overbearing father, (played by Devin Bowles with commanding authority), is the root of Michael's demand for perfection and precision. This leads to his ultimate need to mortgage his beloved Neverland Ranch  to find the final funds to make his tour perfect, in his mind. 

Mary Kate Moore is the probing report Rachel who interrogates Michael throughout the rehearsal process. I wished for more dramatic intention in her portrayal, which seemed to tread too lightly on the surface. The vast catalog of the Jackson's music proves there  are plenty of songs to draw from, but many of the more introspective songs played more like the B side of records that rarely impress.

The lighting  by Natasha Katz and projections by Peter Nigrini  were exciting and vivid, transporting us to the performance stage and multiple locales and TV/Music studios. Sound Design by Gareth Owen was most successful in the large concert production numbers, but the spoken lines were often muddled and hard to hear from the rear of the orchestra. 

The show ends with the requisite group concert number, which has the audience on it's feet, cheering for their MJ. If only the sparkle that was felt during the actual production numbers was present for the rest of the backstory of Michael's life.. that would have been something much more thrilling.

MJ runs through June 16,2024 at Shea's Buffalo Theatre. Contact sheas.org for more information 

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