Sunday September 21st, 2025

Had the pleasure of attending the opening/media night for the Tony Award-winning show MJ The Musical(Mirvish)  https://www.mirvish.com/shows/mj-the-musical   at Toronto’s CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre(244 Victoria Street)  A little background, this jukebox musical officially opened on February 1, 2022(originally it was to open in 2019 but was postponed because of Covid).  The plot is based around Michael Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour.  During rehearsals he is being interviewed by an MTV reporter to talk about his life but as the reporter digs deeper, discovers more about the life of the “King of Pop” he did not want reviled .   As someone who grew up J5(Old School fans would know what that means) I was excited to see this show and how it would represent his legacy.  I also wanted to see if the lead actor(any actor) could capture MJ’s magic.  The show itself is very good. Other that a few liberties taken(only true J5/MJ fans will notice) the musical portrays his life,  on stage, off stage, growing up with his family, his toxic relationship with father Joe Jackson, his loving mother,  performing with his brothers as the Jackson Five, his solo career, his relationship with producer Quincy Jones, his relationship with fans and his personal insecurities and demons.  The music is legendary(there are several new songs written specifically for the show to help tell the story)  and stage performances amazing.  The one person who had the toughest job was actor Jordan Markus who plays Michael Jackson.  It’s impossible to capture MJ’s true stage essence but Markus does an exceptional job from his voice, singing and especially dancing.  I was lucky to see Michael Jackson perform with his brothers 3 times so I’m a tough critic on this show.  I could point out flaws but that would be picky.  It’s a brilliant show from beginning to end and does MJ’s legacy with respect.  I give  MJ The Musical(Mirvish)  5 out of 5 stars.  MJ The Musical runs from September 16 – November 2, 2025.

(MJ The Musical Trailer https://tinyurl.com/mw2vwchj  )