Broadway's Michael Jackson Musical Coming To Broadway

[milven]

Sam Barsanti
October 10, 2019
Broadway's Michael Jackson musical is moving forward, which seems like a bad idea

The organizers of MJ The Musical—former Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough—are apparently praying that the general public is totally on board with the utterly shitty Michael Jackson takes we got from Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, and Dave Chappelle, because they’re moving forward with an actual Broadway run next summer even though the project’s basic existence seems thoroughly misguided. Oh sure, the Michael Jackson brand is worth a lot of money, and if you happen to own the rights to make a Michael Jackson musical, you might as well get some money out of it, but on the other hand… maybe don’t? Maybe we can all just move on and find something else to make money off of?

Obviously nobody has any interest in finding something else to make money off of, so we’re just stuck with this one apparently. According to Deadline, MJ The Musical [[which has a picture of him on the logo and everything) will start previews at the Neil Simon Theatre on July 6, 2020, with opening night planned for August 13. This comes after a pre-Broadway run in Chicago earlier this year was abruptly canceled, with producers blaming an Actors’ Equity strike even though the more obvious reason the then-recent premiere of the Leaving Neverland documentary on HBO [[which detailed specific allegations from two men who say they were molested by Jackson as children).

Deadline says the musical has undergone some unknown changes since the Chicago shows were canceled, but it originally revolved around Jackson rehearsing for the Dangerous tour in 1992 and acted as a “portrait of the artist, a man of contradictions that contained so much beauty” [[according to director Christopher Wheeldon). Again: This sounds like a terrible idea. A jukebox musical of Michael Jackson music would be one thing, but “marvel at the talent of this amazing genius” [[if that is or ever was the premise here) is questionable. Assuming you’re on board with this, the producers posted a teaser video on YouTube that has the same basic information we reported here but without the references to sexual abuse allegations.


https://news.avclub.com/broadways-mi...-wh-1838948179

[Suedehead]

I don’t get it but probably my fault.
The Estate of MJ seems too focus on those kind of projects.
Circus & Broadway show.
Cool kind of stuff but what about MJ’s music legacy? They should learn something from the Estate of David Bowie!
That’s what a call respect for an Artist, not just a brand...

[Optimal Saint]

Gotta say

I do love that MJ logo

[midnightman]

I don’t get it but probably my fault.
The Estate of MJ seems too focus on those kind of projects.
Circus & Broadway show.
Cool kind of stuff but what about MJ’s music legacy? They should learn something from the Estate of David Bowie!
That’s what a call respect for an Artist, not just a brand...

That's all he was seen as for the last 26 years of his life. Part or most of it was HIS doing. David Bowie was an artist. Can't compare that to a guy who did Captain EO lol

[Suedehead]

That's all he was seen as for the last 26 years of his life. Part or most of it was HIS doing. David Bowie was an artist. Can't compare that to a guy who did Captain EO lol

‘A guy who did captain eo’?
My goodness...Which is why I believe his Estate fault about his legacy : [[

[midnightman]

‘A guy who did captain eo’?
My goodness...Which is why I believe his Estate fault about his legacy : [[

To be fair, there's not much to work with. Remember when they claimed he had 250 songs? Turns out those songs were not even halfway done. I remember the estate was gonna make plans of releasing a duets album with Justin Bieber and T-Pain [[I think) and others with MJ leftovers. Teddy Riley was gonna produce it.

There really is NOTHING to sell anymore. That's why they went the safe route to do Vegas shows a'la Elvis/Beatles and that may dry up a bit too.

As much blame the estate takes in this, MJ takes some blame too so I can't leave him blameless.

[Suedehead]

Don’t thinkso.
Branca is a very smart business man and lawyer. He knows how to make money, big money...
Compare to the poor sales of music cds and vinyls or streaming [[and without MJ here) they literally make millions $ with Circus du Soleil’s shows [[and now Broadway), Immortal and The One, in a very short time.
That’s way they push so hard in this direction.

Sure MJ was a procrastinator and obviously many potential great songs are just a raw demos or unfinished tracks but there are some unreleased gems in the vault.
I think they should release the tracks, demos, album sessions and alternative takes as MJ leaved, without any kind of contenporized remix or production.
I’m not very excited about another project like ‘Xscape’ or the dine ‘Michael’.
I have an archivist kind of approach and I would like philological projects.
There are so many things they can release in the near future without touch the vault and sure there are specific multitracks would be better than many unreleased... but they came up with this piece for £479.99
https://www.mjvibe.com/michael-jacks...ggQPwadO9je_58

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4_gLDTUjtD0

[midnightman]

If he was smart, he wouldn't be releasing a This Is It box set. Too morbid.

[jaywonder]

To be fair, there's not much to work with. Remember when they claimed he had 250 songs? Turns out those songs were not even halfway done. I remember the estate was gonna make plans of releasing a duets album with Justin Bieber and T-Pain [[I think) and others with MJ leftovers. Teddy Riley was gonna produce it.

There really is NOTHING to sell anymore. That's why they went the safe route to do Vegas shows a'la Elvis/Beatles and that may dry up a bit too.

As much blame the estate takes in this, MJ takes some blame too so I can't leave him blameless.

Only time I've heard about 250 is how many millions Sony paid Jackson's estate for the rights to distribute his back catalog and any posthumous releases [[10 projects)

While Jackson's recording was sporadic after 2003, there is STILL a good deal of material from 1976 to 2002 to work with. Whether it was demos and unfinished songs to work he did with Bill Bottrell, John Barnes, James Whitney, Teddy, Bryan Loren, and others, there is still quite a bit that can be released.

Not to mention they can rely on video footage from concerts going back to The Jacksons' tours

They've been focused on the commercialization and making him a "brand", which has its pros and cons [[more cons in my opinion). The times they've released material, the whole goal was to "contemporize" it instead of releasing the material as is or even letting the people who worked on the songs, at least mix them properly, which has alienated several of his collaborators.

[jaywonder]

Don’t thinkso.
Branca is a very smart business man and lawyer. He knows how to make money, big money...
Compare to the poor sales of music cds and vinyls or streaming [[and without MJ here) they literally make millions $ with Circus du Soleil’s shows [[and now Broadway), Immortal and The One, in a very short time.
That’s way they push so hard in this direction.

Sure MJ was a procrastinator and obviously many potential great songs are just a raw demos or unfinished tracks but there are some unreleased gems in the vault.
I think they should release the tracks, demos, album sessions and alternative takes as MJ leaved, without any kind of contenporized remix or production.
I’m not very excited about another project like ‘Xscape’ or the dine ‘Michael’.
I have an archivist kind of approach and I would like philological projects.
There are so many things they can release in the near future without touch the vault and sure there are specific multitracks would be better than many unreleased... but they came up with this piece for £479.99
https://www.mjvibe.com/michael-jacks...ggQPwadO9je_58

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4_gLDTUjtD0

Agreed

It would be easy to release "super deluxe editions" of his albums and include unreleased songs, demos, alternate takes with them.

Instead, we got Pitbull on a remix of Bad....

[midnightman]

Only time I've heard about 250 is how many millions Sony paid Jackson's estate for the rights to distribute his back catalog and any posthumous releases [[10 projects)

While Jackson's recording was sporadic after 2003, there is STILL a good deal of material from 1976 to 2002 to work with. Whether it was demos and unfinished songs to work he did with Bill Bottrell, John Barnes, James Whitney, Teddy, Bryan Loren, and others, there is still quite a bit that can be released.

Not to mention they can rely on video footage from concerts going back to The Jacksons' tours

They've been focused on the commercialization and making him a "brand", which has its pros and cons [[more cons in my opinion). The times they've released material, the whole goal was to "contemporize" it instead of releasing the material as is or even letting the people who worked on the songs, at least mix them properly, which has alienated several of his collaborators.

Jay, you know they ain't gonna focus on his 1976-80 work lol

What they want is Thriller, some Bad and some Dangerous. And maybe HIStory to appease some stans.

That's as far as that goes.

[jaywonder]

Jay, you know they ain't gonna focus on his 1976-80 work lol

What they want is Thriller, some Bad and some Dangerous. And maybe HIStory to appease some stans.

That's as far as that goes.

While that's likely [[due to the strained relationship with two or three brothers in particular), you saying there's not much work with and there's nothing left to sell isn't really accurate. There's plenty. The problem is his estate is too focused on remixing songs that don't need it and making him more of a brand.

[midnightman]

While that's likely [[due to the strained relationship with two or three brothers in particular), you saying there's not much work with and there's nothing left to sell isn't really accurate. There's plenty. The problem is his estate is too focused on remixing songs that don't need it and making him more of a brand.

I meant those 200 or so songs he didn't finish... his SOLOS. Lol

[jaywonder]

I meant those 200 or so songs he didn't finish... his SOLOS. Lol

Yes I know but I was talking about 1976-1980 because he worked with his brothers and as a solo act [[the James Whitney sessions) but the brothers could hold rights as they were all [[except Jermaine) under Peacock at the time.

[Suedehead]

Agreed

It would be easy to release "super deluxe editions" of his albums and include unreleased songs, demos, alternate takes with them.

Instead, we got Pitbull on a remix of Bad....

There are pages and pages and pages of stuff that I’ll be more than happy to finally get in some form, including the Motown goodies of course.
For over 30 years I do research and collect MJ stuff but in my archive there is still space and you never stop learning, that’s for sure!

Unfortunately MJ meant $$$ for all his live [[this put him in a position of limited freedom sometimes) and death...

I’mlook forward to seeing Marcos Cabota forthcoming documentary next year [[august 2020), guess will be more richer and curious than ‘Square One’ by Danny Wu.
Hope that along with Broadway show, Universal will release some new tracks or alternative mix! : )

[jaywonder]

There are pages and pages and pages of stuff that I’ll be more than happy to finally get in some form, including the Motown goodies of course.
For over 30 years I do research and collect MJ stuff but in my archive there is still space and you never stop learning, that’s for sure!

Unfortunately MJ meant $$$ for all his live [[this put him in a position of limited freedom sometimes) and death...

I’mlook forward to seeing Marcos Cabota forthcoming documentary next year [[august 2020), guess will be more richer and curious than ‘Square One’ by Danny Wu.
Hope that along with Broadway show, Universal will release some new tracks or alternative mix! : )

I've been collecting news articles and other items over the years and have found some really interesting pieces. I'm happy to share them if you like . Currently working on a project of my own. Maybe a series of articles as it's in the beginning stages

Also looking forward to Cabota's documentary as well and Wu's documentary, while a bit flawed in parts, does well in offering some balance to what's currently available

[Suedehead]

I've been collecting news articles and other items over the years and have found some really interesting pieces. I'm happy to share them if you like . Currently working on a project of my own. Maybe a series of articles as it's in the beginning stages

Also looking forward to Cabota's documentary as well and Wu's documentary, while a bit flawed in parts, does well in offering some balance to what's currently available

Your project sound interesting, Keep me updated please!
Wu’s doc isn’t bad at all [[a young guy with low budget after all) but nothing really new here. I expected much more details, investigations and more time explaining crucial stuff most of the people didn’t know about it.
The 93 extortion case was more complicated
than it appeared...