‘MJ the Musical’ is Outstanding with an Infectious Spirit

Broadway Across Canada once again has brought a fantastic show to the National Arts Centre. MJ the Musical made its debut on New Year’s Eve and will run through January 5.

The show is a jukebox musical that explores the life of Michael Jackson. It opened on Broadway in 2022 and was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning four, including Best Actor in a Musical, Best Choreography and awards for Lighting and Sound Design. Even though the show debuted in 2022, it is one of the highest-grossing musicals of all time.

You would think opening a show on New Year’s Eve would be tricky, with people having other plans, but that wasn’t the case. The only question going into Southam Hall was whether all of the sparking outfits worn by those attending the sold-out show were to celebrate the new year or for  MJ . . . Let’s assume both.

MJ the Musical focuses on Jackson’s life from his time as a child star in Jackson 5 to his preparation for the Dangerous World Tour. I grew up on Michael Jackson’s songs; they were the soundtrack of my youth.

A show of this magnitude rests on the shoulders of the actor portraying the King of Pop. He must convincingly portray Jackson while undertaking the challenging task of mimicking this musical icon’s dance moves and mannerisms. To that end, I take my hat off to Jordan Markus and Erik Hamilton, the two actors who portrayed Michael at different stages of his life.

MJ was created in collaboration with the Estate of Michael Jackson. It does a very good job of exploring some of Jackson’s idiosyncrasies, including his childlike demeanour, constant pranking, and playful nature. It also deals with the abuse he and his brothers faced from their father, Joe. Devin Bowles, pulling double duty, did a great job portraying Michael’s father as well as his business manager, Rob.

Also on double duty, Anastasia Talley does a fantastic job as Katherine, the matriarch of the Jackson family.

The ensemble works exceptionally well together, and they do an outstanding job bringing MJ to life.

The show checks off a lot of boxes: the set design and staging are well done, and the transitions between different timelines in Jackson’s life are seamless.

The show does a very good job of conveying the trials and tribulations of Jackson’s life, like his reluctance to go on the Victory Tour with his siblings, and it underscores his passion during auditions to ‘get it right’ in order to create something special for his fans. The infamous Billie Jean performance, where he introduced the world to the Moonwalk, captures the magic, innovation, and sheer brilliance that defined Jackson as a global icon.

The only thing better than this great show would be a get-up-and-dance version, and judging by the number of heads bobbing along with the music on opening night, I wasn’t alone in that sentiment.

Fortunately, at the end of the show, there was an opportunity to do just that. I, for one, couldn’t wait, and yes, you can ‘blame it on the boogie’—see what I did there?

MJ the Musical is an outstanding show filled with great performances and an infectious spirit.

The Broadway Across Canada series continues to impress, and I appreciate that this was one of the selections for Ottawa audiences.

Tickets can be purchased here from Ticketmaster using this link.

For information on upcoming Broadway Across Canada performances coming to Ottawa, visit https://ottawa.broadway.com/shows/

Photo: Jordan Markus as MJ and the First National Tour Cast of MJ. Photo Matthew Murphy