Put on your white glove, dust off your red “Thriller” jacket and get ready to witness a musical production fit only for the King of Pop.
Michael Jackson is more than a name, he’s a symbol of creativity, aspiration and resilience: a true superstar who transcended musical and cultural boundaries to unite the world through love and kindness. His love for his fans was unmatched, putting aside his own struggles to deliver music and performances so breathtaking that he would achieve “legendary” status long before his time was up. One of those performances was his historic Dangerous World Tour of 1992. Now, MJ the Musical takes us behind the scenes of of that unprecedented tour, following Michael’s persistent quest for perfection while delving into the life moments that turned him into the superstar he became.
Michael’s life and “HIStory” is one that continues to be documented, analysed, celebrated and even scrutinised to this day. We know the story and his journey, but there’s something about seeing it play out on stage that allows you to really grasp the true “Price of Fame”. The narrative being told primarily takes place in the weeks and months leading up to the opening of MJ’s Dangerous world tour, highlighting his charm, his vision and his artistry, while not looking beyond the emotional and physical struggles he faced. It’s those moments of struggle and growth that permit the production to send us back to the key moments in his youth that shaped him into the man he became, for better or worse. The story weaves through time, kicking off with his earliest days as part of the Jackson 5 and delving deep into his solo endeavours, all the while putting his strained relationship with his father in the spotlight.
It’s impossible to tell Michael’s story without showcasing the highs and lows of his life, and this production accomplishes as good of a balance as you can achieve in 2 hours and 15 minutes. It’s brilliantly paced and navigates switching from quiet, sentimental beats to upbeat musical numbers in a way that feels natural and purposeful. The scenes preceding and following many of the musical numbers actually enhance the meaning of the words in some of his greatest hits. It should be noted that the production doesn’t go so far as to elicit a deeply emotional response from its audience, even through the most sombre of moments. The emotional lows are kept quite light for the sake of maintaining an upbeat energy from start to finish. If you’re looking to get deep into the grit of his emotional and physical trauma, this isn’t going to give you that satisfaction, but it does make sure to reference the severity, impact and importance of these moments. There are some sequences set in the early ’80s era of his career that are perhaps not as fleshed out as his Jackson 5 era, resulting in them having less of an impact, but it’s not a very severe qualm.
As far as the first act/second act split is concerned, this is one of the rare times where the second act is the standout section of the production. The first act is where a lot of the meat of the story lies – the vast majority of the flashbacks live here, and it’s heavily focused on the narrative as well as the music. It’s exciting, entertaining and full of good vibes, but it also feels quite drawn out with how many years of his life it covers. Meanwhile, the second act is a masterful work of theatrical art. Once that curtain rises, it’s like the available budget tripled, and every department from lighting to set design and choreography pulled out every stop to make it as extravagant as possible. The musical numbers in this second half are a true celebration of MJ’s most illustrious songs. Story-wise, it also predominantly follows 1992 Michael, who has by far the most impressive stage presence.
Speaking of stage presence, Michael Jackson is represented by three different actors, indicating his growth over time. In the role of Little Michael is William Bonner, and what a charming bundle of child-like joy this kid is. For someone who never shared the planet with Michael, he channels the essence of a young MJ with great effectiveness. His adorable attitude and near spot-on vocals immediately won over the audience, leading to his many flashback sequences all having a strong impact. Playing a slightly aged-up Michael is Liam Damons, and this is where I would say the production has its weakest link. When it comes to channelling the movement, mannerisms, voice and essence of MJ, Damon has the hardest time selling us on the character. His singing performance as Michael is great, but it’s the dialogue and movement aspects of his role that feel off. For instance,e when looking at Bonner, I saw a young Michael, whereas when looking at Damons, I had to really focus to see through the acting facade. The collective energy of the audience felt somewhat subdued when we were with Damons’ Michael, which may solely be due to the fact that the production’s lead is unparalleled in his talents.
Ilario Grant is jaw-droppingly incredible when it comes to transforming himself into a 34-year-old Michael. The way he glides across the stage, executes Michael’s signature moves to perfection and nails his voice with a softness and consistency that not many have is increasingly impressive. When he took to the stage, I couldn’t help but see the closest thing to Michael reincarnate. We all know there are countless MJ impersonators out there, but where Grant really shines is with the emotion he brings to the performance. It’s not all about nailing the moonwalk and dropping a quality “hee hee” – he’s able to hit the more emotional beats with ease while releasing an exceptional amount of energy through dazzling choreography.
The performances you see might be impressive, but what should be one of the most celebrated roles in this production is actually the exceptional work of Lighting Designer Natasha Katz. I’ve seen some impressive lighting across other theatre productions, but what makes Katz’s work here so alluring and breathtaking is the variety and complexity that’s involved from scene to scene. She finds the best way to light each musical number in a way that makes every visual element pop – sometimes all it takes is a softly-lit spotlight, whereas other times she sacrifices Her Majesty’s Theatre’s power bill to drown the stage in light. When I wasn’t lost in Ilario Grant’s performance, I was most likely marvelling at the beauty of the lighting or staging.
Speaking on the set design, the first act doesn’t have much in the way of lavish backdrops, enormous staging elements and props, but the production makes fantastic use of what they do have at their disposal. I made a note in the intermission that it strangely felt like they were keeping the set design surprisingly lowkey despite the capacity to go huge with it. All I know is they must have been reading my phone because the second act turns the dial up to an 11 – revealing multiple impressively-detailed backdrops that really made this feel like a Michael Jackson concert. The stage elements of both “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller” are grand, exquisite and eye-catching in a way that only enhances the choreography and everything else happening on stage.
I’ve gone this long without referring to the music because I feel like any question of quality is entirely rhetorical. Being a jukebox musical, it’s jam-packed with nearly 40 of Michael’s biggest hits, and every single one lands just as well as the first time you heard it. The singing performances are stellar, and every musical number is accompanied by choreography that matches the speed and tempo of the track. The most extravagant musical numbers remain exhilarating throughout every second, while the slower tunes are emotionally enhanced through their linking to a moment in Michael’s past. The only way to not enjoy the music is to go into it somehow already not liking MJ’s tunes… in which case you wouldn’t bother going.
Whether you’re looking to “Blame it on the Boogie” and relive the hits from your youth or simply uncover what it was that made Michael Jackson a global pop superstar, MJ the Musical is a must-see musical experience for all generations.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
MJ the Musical is now playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne through to February 1st, 2026. For more information and to purchase tickets, head HERE.
Reviewer attended on Thursday September 18th, 2025
Photo credit: Daniel Boud
