Gonna be starting something! MJ The Musical opens on Broadway

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, is the subject of a new Broadway musical that opened Tuesday night, and the event drew friends and family members of the music icon.

News 12 Staff

Feb 2, 2022, 1:26 PM

Updated 974 days ago

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The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, is the subject of a new Broadway musical that opened Tuesday night, and the event drew friends and family members of the music icon.
Myles Frost is stepping into the shoes of the King of Pop, in his Broadway debut starring as the music legend in MJ The Musical. Tuesday night's opening brought out many who admired Jackson, including filmmaker Spike Lee.
"You know, I grew up with Michael, I was born in '57, he was born in '58," says Lee.
Jackson's daughter, Paris, and his son, Prince, were also on hand to show support. The musical is produced in cooperation with the Jackson estate. It includes many of Jackson's biggest hits, with a plot centered around Jackson preparing for his 1992 Dangerous Tour, then at the height of his powers.
Lynn Nottage wrote the book for the musical and calls the show a portrait of an artist at work.
"Often we see the finished product but we don't really think about all of the ingredients that go into making that individual," says Nottage.
The opening was a long time coming. MJ The Musical was scheduled to begin its Broadway run in 2020, but the pandemic delayed the show by nearly two years.
Jackson died in 2009, leaving an incredible legacy  of music but also having been accused of child molestation, for which he was tried and acquitted. Longtime Jackson associate, the Rev. Al Sharpton, remembers the artist he knew.
"I did the whole victory tour as head of community affairs," says Sharpton. "I preached his funeral and I miss him, but I think the fact his music has outlived him and he always wanted to be someone that lived longer than his body."
MJ The Musical is being performed at the Neil Simon Theatre.