“Is it really possible to separate your life from your music?”
It is a hard-to-forget question asked by a reporter to the Michael Jackson character in the musical “MJ,” which opened at Centennial Hall April 2.
Though the production, brought here by Broadway in Tucson, is grand fun, packed with Jackson’s hits and amazing choreography, it is hard to forget the accusations that swirled around the singer.
The reason? The Lynn Nottage-penned script takes place in 1992, a year before allegations of sexual battery on a child first came out. That’s convenient. As well, the play was produced “by special arrangement with the estate of Michael Jackson.” One wonders if that arrangement would exist if a fuller picture of Jackson’s life were given.
The scenario is a rehearsal hall in the days before Jackson’s 1992 globe-trotting Dangerous tour is to launch.
His manager has arranged for a film crew to come in and record the creation process. That gives a reasonable framework for the MJ character to revisit his early life, his demanding and sometimes abusive father, his Jackson 5 career with his brothers, and his struggle with drug addiction to deal with the pain after his hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.
Some of his biggest hits are woven through the mostly-humorless story, and rarely do they feel forced.
And those hits were delivered with exuberance and expertise by Roman Banks, who nailed Jackson’s pillowy voice, mind-bending dance moves and must-listen-to songs. He was on stage almost constantly and still his energy and portrayal never wavered.
There were some amazing performances in this road show, including Devin Bowles, who portrayed Michael’s abusive father and his coddling manager. He seamlessly moved from one character to the next and was persuasive in each.
Also impressive were Bane Griffith, who portrayed Jackson as a child; Brandon Lee Harris, who effortlessly gave us a teen Jackson, and Anastasia Talley as Katherine Jackson, a gentle and protective mother to her son.
In fact, this cast of 30-plus was impressive all the way through, from the singing to dancing to acting. Director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon made sure his love of dance took center stage, and boy was it explosive and perfect.
But in between the many wow moments, we kept coming back to that nagging question about separating the art from the artist. We’ll continue to ponder that one.
“MJ” continues through Sunday, April 7, at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. Tickets are $49-$199 through broadwayintucson.com. Run time is about 2½ hours.
