00049: MJ MUSICAL

MJ: The Musical

I must start by saying I do not like jukebox musicals very much. I have many reasons why I don't like them, but mainly because they seem to be created with little originality, following a simple, uncomplicated, and very predictable structure and storyline. You may disagree with me but that conversation is for another time.

Because of my dislike with jukebox musicals, I was not expecting MJ: The Musical at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, to be much of a show. It is a jukebox musical after all, and my experiences with such shows have been disappointing. The same can be said about musicals based on films, which is a topic I will address in a different blog entry. 

And so, I arrived to the show with conflicting feelings. I didn't expect much of this jukebox musical but deep down I wanted the show to be good because Michael Jackson became my favorite music artist after he came out with "Off the Wall," the only music album by Michael that has been inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame. And while I don't wear Michael Jackson T-shirts or the white glove, or anything remotely related to Michael Jackson, like many audience members did when I attended the show, I do consider myself a fan. He is the King of Pop after all.

The Orpheum Theater, SF CA

I first have to say how much I enjoyed the beginning of the show, which was "a rehearsal," where a band and dancers were warming up while waiting for Michael to arrive. And when he arrived, he only had a couple of words to say and off they all went into rehearsing a musical number. And from that moment on, I was hooked. And while I knew a lot about Michael's life, musical challenges, and career obstacles and tribulations, it was how the musical was structured and how the plot was set that made this jukebox musical very different from the others I have watched. All thanks to playwright extraordinaire, Lynn Nottage. Yes, there was a plot element that aided in transporting us to Michael's past as a child and slowly moving forward to "the present." But again, its very tight structure and its smart sequence of events within the show made MJ: The Musical a delight and entertaining theatre piece.

One of the many reasons I don't really like jukebox musicals is because, since the majority of songs in such musicals are well-known pop songs or well-known songs by the artists the musical is about, most of the time audience members start to whistle, holler, clap, and/or cheer when they hear their favorite song. At times, audience members get up from their seats and start to dance and even worse, sing, as if they were at a concert. This type of behavior, whether justified or not, is one of the many reasons I dislike jukebox musicals. So throughout the show, while enjoying MJ: The Musical, I was always nervous that some fan would start "joining the fun." And there were a couple of times when that almost happened, but the way the show is written and the way the songs are arranged for the musical, made it difficult for unwanted audience participation to occur. In fact, there was a moment when people started clapping to the beat with a certain song (I think it was Man in the Mirror.) But a few seconds after that, the audience had to stopped because the music rhythms changed and the vocals were done not just by "Michael Jackson" but also by other characters on stage. When that happened, I smiled and I think I even uttered (very softly) the word "yes" in a moment of triumph. 

The merch was selling out! The stage was awesome!

Besides having a very good structure and plot, the acting, the choreography (by Christopher Wheeldon), and the dancing in this musical were amazing. There were times when I thought I was watching a traditional musical with traditional musical numbers with a twist. So as a jukebox musical, the show is so different and so unexpected that it surprises you. At least, it surprised me. 

The show is also very artistic. Even though we are following Michael's life as an artist while putting together his "Dangerous Tour," the show gives the audience the opportunity to understand where Michael's dancing inspiration came from. The transition from the opening number in act two into "Smooth Criminal" becomes a dance history lesson, a homage to great American dancers, such as Fred Astaire, Bob Fosse, and The Nicholas Brothers, artists who made an appearance in the musical, and artists who influenced Michael Jackson's moves, such as the pelvis thrust and the infamous moonwalk. And believe me, the transition from one number to the next is as smooth as the title of the song itself. 

The choreography is top notch; the musical arrangements are unexpected, the dancing is superb, the acting and "off the wall,” and the singing, oh, the singing is just glorious. Everyone in the cast has its moment to shine and everyone in the cast who ended up playing more than one character is magnificent. But of course, the show would be nothing if there wasn't an actor who could embodied Michael Jackson's body and spirit, and the night I went, actor Roman Banks was that vessel, the conduct for Michael Jackson's spirit. Mr. Banks walked, spoke, sang, and dance like the late "King of Pop," making this musical a delight to watch.

At the end, because of the great writing by Ms. Nottage, because of the great Michael embodiment by Mr. Banks, because of the unique choreography by Mr. Wheeldon, and because of the great artistry by the ensemble and the technical team, MJ: The Musical was an unexpected jukebox musical I enjoyable and turned my night at the theatre, truly enjoyable.  

00047: UNWANTED AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

For several months now, actually more than a year, many of my fellow theatre artists, theatre colleagues and I have been discussing the, now very popular issue of the unwanted audience participation incidents. 

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. That moment when that one person in the audience starts to sing during a musical number and purposely (or not) tries to outdo the actor on stage. Oh, yes, instances like this have been happening for a long time now. A quick google search shows people discussing the issue as far back as 2015, so it seems this issue has been happening for a long time. Wait, maybe that is not long ago or maybe it is. I don't know. Since the pandemic everything is in some sort of time warp that is difficult to decipher. 

Anyway, a few years back I went to see a production of West Side Story, and being completely annoyed by a couple of people who started singing "Somewhere" along with the actress on stage. "This isn't a concert," I said to myself. "So shut the hell up." I added as I tried to incinerated them with my gaze. 

That was one incident, long time ago. 

I do think though, that the issue about audience members uninvitingly singing didn't become such an issue until jukebox musicals came into being. Jukebox musicals made used of very popular songs instead of comparing new songs. Most of the time jukebox musicals are bio-musicals (based on someone famous) such as Tina The Musical, Ain't Too Proud, or Jersey Boys or used song from a popular album or music group to create a "new story," such as Mama Mia! Jagged Little Pill, or American Idiot. I'm not putting the blame on jukebox musicals but I do think that the unwanted audience singers phenomenon has become a more unpopular occurrence because of this type of musicals. 

I pause here now to be fully transparent about the fact that I very much dislike jukebox musicals; I do. But I'm not here to talk about that, though this topic merits its own blog entry and I will write about it. Later. 

Since jukebox musicals use pop songs that are well known by most people. And since many of these songs are songs audiences have come to "adore." Or since many jukebox musicals are based on very popular films that contained very popular songs--Sister Act The Musical--when audiences go to see those musicals, they feel they must sing along with the actors on stage or else. After all, in my opinion, many of these audience members only go to see the musical because it is about their favorite music artist or based on their favorite film. And because these people have a "personal connection" to the song(s) they feel they have to sing their hearts out, when their songs are being performed on stage. In Manchester, England, for example, an incident of such behavior happened during the production of the musical "The Bodyguard." The performance of the show had to be cut short, the police called, and an audience member was escorted out, against their will. This individual tried to out sing the actress onstage during one of the most popular songs known on earth: "I Will Always Love You," sang originally by Dolly Parton, and then re-arrange by Dolly herself for the film (and Witney Houston) "The Bodyguard." Another incident happened on Broadway during the production of "Death of a Salesman," where the main actor, Wendell Pierce, had to break character and addressed the unruly behavior of an audience member in the front row, which also had to be escorted out. 

I admit that even though I don't like jukebox musicals, I have attended a few due to particular circumstances: taking a family member, given tickets as a present, or for research purposes. In every show I have attended, there has always been one or two people (or more) who are just singing loud enough to keep me from enjoying the actors' performances. This happened when I when to see Moulin Rouge The Musical, Tina The Musical, and Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. 

I get it. I know people love "this song or that song." I get it because I have my favorite pop songs too, I also have my favorite musical theatre songs as well. When I hear them, I sing them. Loud and out of key 99% of the time. But if I'm in a theater, watching a musical and such favorite songs start, I don't sing at all because I'm not there to sing. I'm there to watch others sing those songs. And like me, people paid money to hear those actors sing the songs. If I decide to sing, I'm not only being disrespectful to the actors on stage, but I'm also going to be the unwanted audience rude member that people will hiss at because they paid money to see the musical, not to see me. It's that simple. Just because the cast in Les Miz sings "Do you hear the people sing?" doesn't mean I need to start singing from my seat. 

Unfortunately, these unwanted audience participation situations are happening more often now than before. And at times, it's not even one audience member but many. The time I attended the production of Tina The Musical, people all over the audience were singing along with the actors when the character sang "What's Love Got to Do with It." There is no doubt that such song is a favorite of mostly everyone. And the moment I heard the musical chords I smile because I knew it was coming. But my excitement die when many different audience members started to sing the song. It was truly annoying. And I wasn't the only one because audience members were schussing at those who were singing.

At the end, I simply think it is common sense and human decency to not disturb and/or disrupt the theatrical experience everyone is trying to have. But many people feel that paying to see a show gives them the right to do what they want, becoming unwanted audience members instead of being respectful and communing with everyone attending. And knowing that more jukebox musicals are coming and that, in general, most people are showing their true entitlement colors, (I mean, even does anyone remember what Lauren Boebert did?), I'm afraid to say that the unwanted audience participation individuals will continued to exist. And that is an unfortunate reality.