It has apparently become well known that I’m not a great fan of musicals. As Jerry Seinfeld once said (concerning the opera): “If you’ve got something to say … say it.”
If you need to sing it, well, it better be good. In some musicals I will concede that the songs aren’t half bad. Mind you, they may not be half good either.
But I can report that in MJ The Musical they are all good, all the way through. After thrilling more than five million people worldwide the producers of this show have confirmed that, yes, it is coming to Brisbane and will play at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre from March 2026.
No-one is expecting me to celebrate this but I am, because I saw the show in London in May and it is terrific. Mind you, I’m a Michael Jackson fan and I’m not convinced he was as whacky as he is made out to be. Some people have a set against him, of course, in the same way they trash Woody Allen. I love Woody Allen’s films and I love Michael Jackson’s music, so there.
Brought to Australia by leading producer Michael Cassel, alongside original Broadway producers Lia Vollack, John Branca and John McClain, the Australia premiere season of MJ marks the fifth production of the global hit musical since its Broadway debut in February 2022.
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Along with runs in London (where we saw it at the Prince Edward Theatre on Old Compton Street), Germany and across the US, Brisbane is the next Australian city set to experience this must-see theatrical event. MJ The Musical is currently playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne.
Broadway producer Lia Vollock says she is thrilled with the global response which has been, she says, “phenomenal”. Aussie producer Michael Cassel says the show “has left audiences on their feet night after night thanks to its scale, precision and sheer electricity and we’re thrilled to bring that energy to Brisbane”.
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The production is led by Broadway sensation IIario Grant as MJ, joined by Brisbane’s own Liam Damons, who will open the season in his hometown playing the role of Michael in his teenage years. Damons, who made his professional debut in this musical, is currently reprising the role in Melbourne. He says “there’s nothing like performing for a hometown crowd”.
Set in 1992, MJ offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Michael Jackson’s iconic Dangerous World Tour. From the mind of two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lynn Nottage, it explores intimate moments from the complex history of Jackon’s life and his talent.
The musical has been nominated for 10 Tony Awards, has won four including best choreography for the show’s creator – artistic associate of The Royal Ballet, Christopher Wheeldon, who has also won an Olivier Award for it.
The show features more than 25 of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits and the dancing in it is phenomenal. It’s a musical with a solid story in the same vein as Beautiful: The Carole King Story, but with a lot more dancing.
I’ve spent some long nights in the theatre at musicals, but the time just whizzed by at our London viewing and I can’t wait to see it again in Brisbane. No, really!
Pre-sale tickets for Brisbane season available from October 27. Join the waitlist at mjthemusical.com.au