MJ The Musical on Broadway

Broadway is startin’ somethin’! MJ The Musical bursts with music and theatricality, honoring the iconic status of the one and only Michael Jackson. Get MJ The Musical tickets on TodayTix.

With astonishing dances, unforgettable songs, and transformative performances, MJ on Broadway gives audiences an unmissable new look at the life and times of one of history’s greatest entertainers. Hear over 25 of Jackson’s biggest smash hits in the MJ musical, from “Beat It” to “Thriller” to “Billie Jean”, and see explosive dance routines that earned director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon his second Best Choreography Tony Award (following An American in Paris).

Plus, get an exclusive peek into Jackson’s creative process, his relentless pursuit of perfection, and the pivotal moments from his career that eventually made him one of the bestselling artists of all time. You won’t want to miss this show New York Theatre Guide described as a “flawless production” and “the platinum standard” of bio-musicals.

Get ready to learn about the man behind the man in the mirror — and jam out to his legendary music — at the spectacle that is MJ. Get MJ Broadway tickets on TodayTix now.

The MJ Broadway musical is mostly set in a rehearsal studio, where Jackson is preparing for his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. An MTV reporter arrives to interview Jackson for a documentary, and he gradually opens up about his childhood and the moments that shaped his career.

The songs are Jackson’s, of course, and the book is by Lynn Nottage, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for her plays Ruined and Sweat. She also received a Tony nomination for MJ.

MJ The Musical uses Jackson’s tunes in creative ways. For example, an adult Jackson reckons with his rocky relationship with his father through the horror-infused “Thriller”. But the choreography is also a major storytelling tool, which sets MJ apart from a Michael Jackson tribute concert. It’s fitting that the music and dance are equally key in the story of a man inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame (he’s the only music artist in the latter!).

Jackson is also in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — twice. He has 15 Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and 39 Guinness World Records including Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.

What to Watch For

• When you walk into the theatre, look closely at the semi-sheer curtain hanging in front of the stage. Jackson’s handwritten rehearsal notes are projected onto it.
• Wheeldon choreographed MJ alongside Rich and Tone Talauega, two of Jackson’s former backup dancers and collaborators. They have since become renowned choreographers for two other Jackson-inspired shows in the U.S. and for pop stars including Madonna, Missy Elliott, and the Backstreet Boys.
• MJ creatives Nottage and Wheeldon describe MJ as an in-depth look at Jackson’s life and creative process, and not just a jukebox musical. “You will leave with a better understanding of who he was as a human being,” Nottage told The New York Times.
• According to set designer Derek McLane, the show frequently transports audiences “into Michael’s mind — his memories and dreams,” including a flashy streetscape design dotted with neon and fire escapes.
• Nottage is everywhere on the New York theatre scene. Her new play Clyde’s also premiered on Broadway in 2021, with performances beginning two months before the first performance of MJ. An opera adaptation of her play Intimate Apparel played at Lincoln Center in January 2022, making her the only person to have a play, musical, and opera in New York at the same time.
• Jackson was the first artist to have singles in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in five separate decades — he achieved early success leading the Jackson 5 with his brothers as a child before launching his solo career.