Myles Frost in the Broadway production of MJ. Picture: Matthew Murphy
Myles Frost will reprise his Tony Award-winning performance as music legend Michael Jackson when the quadruple Tony Award-winning musical MJ arrives in London next spring.
Frost will reunite with the acclaimed creative team led by double Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lynn Nottage (Ruined, Sweat) and director and choreographer, the Tony Award-winning Royal Ballet associate artist Christopher Wheeldon (An American Paris) for the West End premiere production of the musical which celebrates the artistry of Michael Jackson.
Commenting on the first piece of casting news for the production which will begin performances at the Prince Edward Theatre on 6 March 2024 ahead of an opening night on 27 March 2024, Wheeldon said: “I am naturally thrilled to have Myles opening the London company with his knockout award-winning performance. Myles embodies the artistic spirit of MJ but allows his own glorious talent to shine through his portrayal. Working closely with Myles to achieve this is in part what has made this show such a success on Broadway.”
Frost added: “Working with Chris has always been amazing. He is a visionary and knowing that we’re now going into his stomping ground, I’m ready for that ride! I’m super excited to bring this show to the West End and to make this a magical experience for everybody.”
Produced by Lia Vollack, John Branca and John McClain, the musical which focuses on Jackson’s hugely successful 1992 Dangerous world tour, began preview performances at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway in December 2021 ahead of an opening night in February last year.
MJ was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning four including the Best Choreography Award for Wheeldon, and the Best Actor in a Musical Award for lead Myles Frost for his portrayal of the music legend.
The high powered creative team also includes scenic designer Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), lighting designer Natasha Katz (Once), costume designer Paul Tazewell (Hamilton), sound designer Gareth Owen, projection designer Peter Nigrini (Dear Evan Hansen) and hair and wig designer Charles LaPointe (The Color Purple) with musical supervision by David Holcenberg (Matilda) and orchestrations and arrangements by Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb (The Color Purple).
Announcing the show’s London debut last year, writer Nottage said: “As a Black musician and a pioneering voice in the music industry, Michael Jackson demanded inclusion, broke incredible barriers and in the process made indelible music that continues to resonate, delight and move listeners today. I am drawn to his complicated, singular and uncompromising creative process, and to understand where, why and how he made his music.”
Director and choreographer Wheeldon added: “I am thrilled that MJ will come to London, having been embraced by New York audiences since it opened. Michael Jackson had a profound influence on popular culture, as well as all of us as performing artists, and this musical is an exploration of that artistic mind and a creative process which is unmistakably Michael Jackson.
“It has offered us the opportunity to put one of the greatest catalogues of pop music ever written up onstage in a show that combines the thrill and energy of a Michael Jackson concert with a glimpse into a pivotal moment of his pioneering career.
“After many years working with the Royal Ballet and bringing the Tony Award winning American In Paris to the West End, I now very much look forward to bringing MJ to UK audiences.”
Angela Thomas
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