Review of MJ the Musical

Photo by Matthew Murphy

MJ the Musical recently moonwalked its way to Los Angeles. It opened on December 20 at The Hollywood Pantages Theatre and will run through January 28, 2024 at the famous LA venue. The four-time Tony Award-winning hit has been captivating audiences since early February of 2022 when it began its blockbuster run on Broadway. The production is an exhilarating celebration of Michael Jackson and his music. It features amazingly choreographed dance numbers, fantastic music arrangements and stunning stage designs. And the extremely talented cast delivers dazzling performances of more than 25 MJ songs.

The musical effectively captures the energy, excitement and mania of the pop/soul superstar’s storied career. It begins with dance rehearsals for the 1992 Dangerous World Tour with MJ obsessing over every minute detail and his business people fretting over the tour’s ever-growing costs. He's deep in debt and putting every dime into the Dangerous production to ensure that he gives his fans the most exciting and entertaining show possible. At the same time, he’s being followed around by an overeager MTV film crew that is looking to dig up some controversial tidbits on the legendary artist. This scene touches on MJ's notorious perfectionism and how he always swung for the fences in everything he did. Going small was not in his vocabulary.

And through cleverly set up flashbacks, the musical explores different periods in MJ’s career. It goes all the way back to his younger days before he and the Jackson 5 signed with Motown, as well as his teen years when the group parted ways with the legendary Motor City label and signed with Epic Records. There are also some terrific flashbacks to his Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad eras.

The cast is led by actor/singer/musician Roman Banks. He transfixes the audience with a masterful portrayal of the King of Pop–from the Thriller era through The Dangerous World Tour. Banks skillfully channels MJ’s unique mannerisms and performance style. And like MJ, his dance movements are at once slinky, smooth and explosive. 

Brandon Lee Harris delivers a knockout performance as teen-through-early 20s MJ. And gifted young actor/performers Josiah Benson and Ethan Joseph are outstanding in their respective roles as Little Michael. 

Among the musical’s many highlights is a brilliant reimagining of "Thriller" with inventive new choreography and a simmering Bob Fosse-ish dance routine set to a jazzy instrumental version of “The Way You Make Me Feel” that flawlessly segues into a show-stopping performance of “Smooth Criminal.” And the cast blows the audience away with incredible performances of other MJ classics such as “Billie Jean,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Beat It” “Black or White” and “Bad.” Also, several of the Jackson 5’s hits were performed in the show, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save” and “Dancing Machine.” And Anastasia Talley (playing Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson) lights up the stage with a beautiful rendition of “I’ll Be There.”

A few of MJ’s less-popular tracks were also included in the production. For instance, Banks serves up a powerful performance of the criminally underrated “Stranger in Moscow.” He also treats the audience to a killer rendition of “The Price of Fame,” which was originally slated to be used in a 1986 Pepsi commercial but was replaced by an edited version of “Bad.” It was later included on the Bad 25 album, released on September 28, 2012.

In addition to Bob Fosse, the musical also gives big shout-outs to other great performers who influenced MJ, including James Brown, Fred Astaire, Jackie Wilson and The Nicholas Brothers. 

The musical briefly touches on MJ’s addiction to painkillers but wisely steers clear of the sexual abuse allegations. That’s a subject better suited for an in-depth and balanced documentary–but definitely not a one-sided, factually inaccurate hit piece like HBO’s Leaving Neverland (2019). This production is designed to be a celebration of the artist and his music, and bringing up the allegations would seriously spoil its celebratory spirit. It’s for MJ fans who just want to enjoy the music and performances and relive the moments when they first heard one of his classic songs or first saw one of his groundbreaking music videos. It’s also a great experience for young MJ fans who never got the opportunity to see him perform live. This is the next best thing, because it definitely feels like you’re at a Michael Jackson concert in many parts. The audience roared and cheered following the rousing finale like they had just witnessed a real MJ concert.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage wrote the book for MJ the Musical. It was directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. He won a well-deserved Tony Award for his exquisite choreography in this amazing production. Victor Simonson is the production's musical director and conductor. As of November 2023, the musical had grossed $157.2 million, with attendance of more than one million people.

Related blog entries:

The Jacksons Perform Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) In Toronto For 1984 Victory Tour

Review of Michael Jackson's Off The Wall Album

Dancers and Performers Who Have Influenced Michael Jackson

"Will It Go Round In Circles" by Billy Preston

Billy Preston scored his first solo number-one on the pop charts with the smash “Will It Go Round In Circles” in 1972. The multitalented artist blessed the ears of music lovers everywhere with this irresistible slice of rapturous funk. Preston's musical gifts are on full display here. He elevates the groove with some rollicking blues piano and gospel organ. And he serves up loads of sanctified soul on vocals. The track also features dynamic horn lines and gutbucket bass. Additionally, Preston doubles down on the funk with a wicked melodica solo.

The song’s origin stems from a joke Preston made to his songwriting partner Bruce Fisher about having a song that has no melody. This inspired the song’s opening refrain: “I got a song, I ain’t got no melody/I’ma gonna sing it to my friends.” The song continues with this paradoxical theme, such as having a dance with no steps and a story with no moral. The lyrics are really contrarian and clever; and it sounds like Preston is having a blast singing them. 

“Will It Go Round In Circles” was co-written by Preston and Fisher, who’s a singer-songwriter, musician and producer. It was a single from Preston’s seventh studio album Music Is My Life, released in October of 1972. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and rose to #10 on Billboard’s Soul singles chart. It also reached the top spot on the charts in Canada. The song went on to sell over a million copies. Preston landed his second  #1 on the pop charts with “Nothing from Nothing” in 1974. 

The personnel for “Will It Go Round In Circles” was Preston (keyboards, vocals, melodica), Louis Johnson (bass), Manuel Kellough (drums), George Johnson (guitar), Hubert Heard (keyboards) and the horn section: Tom Scott (saxophone), Buck Monari (trumpet), George Bohanon (trombone), Paul Hubinon (trumpet) and Jim Horn (saxophone). The track was produced by Preston and released on A&M Records.

“Will It Go Round In Circles” has been sampled on five songs, per WhoSampled.com. It has been featured on the soundtracks for the films Beautiful Girls (1996) and Hesburgh (2018). It’s also featured on the soundtracks for five television series, including an episode of HBO’s Vinyl (season 1, episode 5, titled “He in Racist Fire,” originally aired March 13, 2016).

When Preston released “Will It Go Round In Circles,” he was a well-established and respected artist with a number of major career achievements already under his belt. A self-taught child prodigy, he was playing organ for legendary gospel queen Mahalia Jackson at the young age of 10. At 11, he performed Fats Domino’s hit “Blueberry Hill” with music icon Nat King Cole on the NBC TV series The Nat King Cole Show. And a 12-year-old Preston played young W.C. Handy in the film St. Louis Blues (1958) with Cole cast as adult Handy. 

Preston joined Little Richard’s band as an organist in 1962. He was only 16 at the time. When Little Richard was touring in Hamburg that year, the Beatles were his opening act. Preston developed a close friendship with the four soon-to-be global superstars during the Hamburg dates. This friendship led to Preston contributing his talents to three Beatles albums: The Beatles (better known as The White Album, 1968), Abbey Road (1969) and Let it Be (1970). He also performed with the Beatles on their historic 1969 rooftop concert at Apple Corps headquarters in London. 

Moreover, Preston has the distinction of being the only non-Beatle to be credited on a Beatles song. His amazing keyboard work on the Beatles classic “Get Back” earned him a title credit. "Get Back" is credited as The Beatles with Billy Preston. He’s often referred to as “The Fifth Beatle” due to his significant contributions to the three aforementioned Beatles albums. There was even serious talk of possibly bringing Preston onboard as a new member when he was working with them on the Let It Be album. In the subsequent years, Preston worked with former Beatle members on different music projects. He played on solo albums by George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. He also performed at Harrison’s “Concert for Bangladesh” in 1971.

Preston also frequently toured with The Rolling Stones and played on the classic Stones albums Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main Street (1972). And he played on Sly & The Family Stone’s groundbreaking album There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971). Some of the other major artists who Preston had worked with include Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton and Johnny Cash. Also, Preston co-wrote Joe Cocker’s 1974 classic “You Are So Beautiful.”

Jazz giant Miles Davis’ 1974 album Get Up with It has a track titled “Billy Preston” in Preston’s honor. And during rehearsals for “The Concert for George” in 2002, Ringo Starr called Preston “one of the greatest Hammond players of all time.” In 1979, Preston and singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright landed a huge international hit with their duet “With You I’m Born Again.” Additionally, he wrote and performed the funky theme song for the 1972 blaxploitation film Slaughter starring Jim Brown.

Preston was nominated for nine Grammy Awards and won two. He was inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 2021 and was honored with its Musical Excellence Award. That same year, White Horse Pictures and Homegrown Pictures announced the making of a Paris Barclay-directed documentary on Preston. The yet-to-be-titled documentary is currently in post-production and has no release date set so far.

Billy Preston performing "Will It Go Round In Circles" on The Midnight Special 

"Will Go Round In Circles" available at Amazon

Related blog entry: Review of Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back Documentary Series

"Jive Talkin'" by The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees’ 1975 single “Jive Talkin’” marked a major turning point in the legendary trio’s career. It was one of their first forays into R&B and funk-influenced dance music–a sound that would not only revive their flagging careers but also elevate them to global superstar status within a few years. This track is an exciting mix of disco, pop, R&B and funk. It’s anchored by a funky, pulsating synth bass line, which was pretty unique at the time. Only a handful of R&B and pop artists were laying down synth bass lines on their tracks back in ‘75–most notably Stevie Wonder on his groundbreaking “classic period” albums. “Jive Talkin’” has a powerful, energetic beat and an infectious rhythm guitar riff. It also features a great instrumental section where keyboardist Blue Weaver contributes a fantastic synth part. 

Barry Gibb serves up a sweet, soulful lead vocal performance, and his brothers, Robin and Maurice, provide strong support on background harmonies. The song’s narrator voices his frustrations with his jive-talkin’ lady who can never be straight with him. She constantly lies to him and treats him badly, making him feel like a first-class chump. 

“Jive Talkin’” was co-written by all three Bee Gees. In the Emmy-winning documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Barry explained the genesis of the song. He said its rhythm was inspired by the “clickety-click” sound their car made as they crossed the Julia Tuttle Causeway Bridge on their daily trips from Biscayne Bay to Criteria Recording Studios in North Miami. Barry said it sounded like “ch, ch-ch, ch-ch” in his head, and he eventually began singing to the rhythmic sound–and “Jive Talkin’” was born. You can hear the “ch, ch-ch, ch-ch” scratchy chicken-picking guitar lick that the song was built on at the intro. 

The inclusion of synth bass on “Jive Talkin’” was an instance of pure serendipity. Group bassist Maurice couldn’t make it into the studio one day, so Blue Weaver played the bass line on a Minimoog synthesizer. It was only meant to be a temporary placement until Maurice returned. When he came back to the studio, they played him the demo with the synth bass line and suggested he re-record it on his bass guitar. However, Maurice really dug the synth bass part, so they left it in. He just contributed a few extra touches in certain sections for additional flavor. Also, Weaver played the stellar synth part in the song’s instrumental section on an ARP 2600 synthesizer.

“Jive Talkin’” was the lead single from the Bee Gees’ thirteenth studio album Main Course, released in June of 1975 on RSO Records. It shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #9 on Billboard’s Hot Disco Singles chart. The song rose to #5 on the UK singles chart. It also charted in the top 10 in three other countries: New Zealand (#4), Ireland (#5) and Canada (#1). The song has sold over a million copies in the U.S. and moved 250,000 units in the UK and 75,000 in Canada. 

Main Course was produced by Arif Mardin. The acclaimed producer and arranger had worked with soul legends such as Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, so he was the ideal choice to help the Bee Gees take their sound in a more R&B-focused direction, which was their intention with this LP. He’s the one who suggested that Barry sing falsetto ad-libs on the chorus of “Nights on Broadway,” the second single from Main Course. It worked out so well that Barry began singing falsetto on the majority of the group’s tracks after that; his falsetto has become an iconic signature of the Bee Gees’ sound. “Nights on Broadway” was also a big hit. It rose to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in the top 10 in several other countries. The album spawned one more hit with the third single “Fanny (Be Tender with My Love),” which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Jive Talkin’” has been sampled on eight songs, per WhoSampled.com. Funk band Rufus recorded a terrific cover of the song for their fourth studio album Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (1975). Additionally, “Jive Talkin’” was featured on the soundtrack for the 2016 film The Nice Guys, starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. It was also featured in an episode of The Simpsons (season 20, episode 10, 2009), as well as an episode of The King of Queens (season 8, episode 4, 2005). "Jive Talkin'" is also included on the 1977 Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

Here’s the full musician lineup for “Jive Talkin’”: Barry Gibb (vocals, rhythm guitar), Maurice Gibb (bass, rhythm guitar, vocals), Robin Gibb (vocals), Blue Weaver (keyboards, synthesizer), Dennis Byron (drums percussion) and Alan Kendall (guitar). 

The Bee Gees performing "Jive Talkin'" on The Midnight Special on December 5, 1975.

"Jive Talkin'" available at Amazon

Related blog entry: The Bee Gees Get Funky on "Boogie Child"

"Movin'" by Brass Construction

Funk/R&B/disco band Brass Construction scored their biggest hit with the exhilarating dance groove “Movin’” in 1976. The track is impeccably arranged and features stellar musicianship from the talented Brooklyn funk crew. The track boasts magnificent horn charts, high-voltage synths, funky guitar licks and a monster beat. And Wade Williamston powers the groove with a smoldering bass line. This cut was a dance-floor magnet at parties and clubs back in the day. People would come off the dance floor drenched in sweat after shaking it to this epic party jam. 

“Movin’” was co-written by Williamston and Brass Construction's founder and leader Randy Muller. It was the first single from the band’s platinum self-titled debut album, released in December of 1975 on United Artists Records. It topped Billboard’s R&B singles chart and peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. And the track spent four weeks atop Billboard’s Dance Club chart. It also performed well on the charts in other parts of the world: the UK (#23), the Netherlands (#10), Belgium (#20) and Canada (#47).

According to Whosampled.com, “Movin’” has been sampled on 216 songs, including Michael Jackson’s “Can’t Let Her Get Away,” MC Hammer’s “Pump and a Bump,” DJ Quik’s “Quik is the Name," DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s “Boom! Shake the Room" and "Back That Azz Up" by Juvenile, featuring Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne. 

"Movin'" has been featured on the soundtracks for the films Auto Focus (2002) and All The Way (2003), as well as the HBO series How to Make It in America (season 1, episode 1, Pilot, originally aired February 14, 2010). Additionally, it was featured in an episode of the famous sitcom Good Times. It can be heard playing in the background during the Evans family's going-away party where they receive the tragic news that the Evanses’ patriarch, James Evans Sr., has been killed in an auto accident. The episode was titled “The Big Move: Part 1,” and it originally aired on September 22, 1976.

The players on “Movin’” were Randy Muller (keyboards, percussion, vocals), Wade Williamston (bass), Larry Payton (drums, vocals), Joseph Arthur-Wong (lead guitar), Jesse Ward Jr. (saxophone, vocals), Wayne Parris (trumpet, vocals), Irving Spice (strings), Michael Grudge (saxophone, vocals), Sandy Billups (congas, vocals) and Morris Price (trumpet, vocals, percussion).

"Movin'" is available at Amazon

Related blog entry: "Changin'" by Brass Construction