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Thriller live Birmingham Hippodrome ***** MICHAEL Jackson
might have been Bad
but no one could ever say the same about this all-action, high-octane
tribute to his music – this is good with an upbeat, high tempo G. The cast never stop moving from the opening
chord to the final crash of the drums with high energy dancing and
singing. Notable among the hard-working talented cast was
MJ Mytton-Sannah, a 12 year-old product of Wolverhampton Stagecoach who
looks to have a bright future ahead of him. He has that ability to look
supremely confident and at ease on stage without looking precocious or
cocky - all without that annoying stage school fixed grin. He immediately
had a rapport with the audience and how the audience loved him – that boy
could go far. Also worth a mention was Samantha Johnson, the 22
year-old understudy who came on from the bench for the missing Hayley
Evetts. She was majestic, and looked as if she had years of experience
behind her, belting out songs like a good ‘un. If this were a football team old Hayley would be
struggling to get back in the starting XI after a performance like that. Michael Jackson grew into a pop phenomenon after
starting singing lead vocals with the Jackson 5, the band formed by his
older brothers, when he was eight in 1964. His untimely death
almost two years ago has sparked a renewed interest in his career and
music providing both a bonanza for both his estate and Sony music with
revenues in excess of $1 billion since he died.
Thriller – Live though, wisely, is not about
Jackson's life - that would be a very different story with all the
eccentricity, rumours and controversy that surrounded it. Dating back to
2005 this is no
jukebox musical instead it is a concert to celebrate his music with a
script that, quite frankly, could be written around the margins of the
ticket. There is no story or narrative to speak of and
what there is superficial homage and hyperbole with an ending that
perhaps could have done with a bag or two of sugar less. But what is
lacking in story is more than made up for by music. The cast dance, sing
and swing through two and a half hours of Jackson's considerable output
from a selection of 36 tracks, which means the show can be different
each night. Tracks include hits such as Thriller, obviously,
Bad, Billy Jean and Dangerous to Jackson 5 and Jacksons hits
such as Can You Feel It? and She's Out of My Life. The formulae of four lead vocalists – five if you
include the young MJ - backed by eight energetic, elastic dancers
works well and the cast had no problems getting the audience on their
feet whenever they wanted – throwing in even the old panto favourite of
one half singing against the other. Gary Lloyd's choreography keeps the action on
full throttle and Johnathan Park's set design with LED tabs and screens
provides always interesting and at times stunning visual effects while
behind it all the seven piece band move seamlessly through funk, disco,
R&B, ballads, soul and rock without missing a beat. I was never a huge Jackson fan and I do wonder if
his legacy and all the hype and fanciful claims made about him,
particularly since his untimely death, will survive the test of time.
Death can be a great career boost – sinner to saint overnight. But you have to admit that he was a supremely talented performer and the four main vocalists, Johnson, Ian Pitter, Nathan James and Dwayne Wint have a big act to follow but to their credit they produce a lively, spectacular show backed by those phenomenal dancers and some classy moonwalking moves with at one point the entire male cast drifting back across the stage moonwalking in unison. It is old hat now with any decent dancer with two
legs having it in his repertoire but it still fascinates and for that
alone Jackson deserves his place in history. But his dancing was much
more than that and the show's dancers do their best to prove it. Even in my prime (a rather overcast Tuesday
afternoon in May, 1962) I could never have got close to them. If you
want to lose weight – get a job as a dancer in the show, it's like
aerobics on speed. It has to be reviewed as a concert in its own right and on that basis it can hardly be faulted with a standing ovation to boot. For Jackson fans this is a wallow in
nostalgia , albeit a fast paced, paddling hard, upbeat
one, while for anyone else it is a non-stop barrage of
highly entertaining dancing and, above all, music. Roger Clarke
***** THIS concert-style tribute to the great
Michael Jackson frequently has the audience on their feet clapping,
cheering and swaying to the remarkable music of the undisputed King of
Pop. It's two hours of talent on stage, with a
terrific cast belting out nearly 40 songs and delivering some sparkling
choreography created by director Gary Lloyd. How good, then, to see a young man from the
Midlands starring as the young Jackson. MJ Mytton-Sannah, a 12-year-old
Wolverhampton schoolboy, wows 'em with his singing and dancing when he
dominates the opening 20 minutes. MJ develops his theatre skills at Woverhampton
Stagecoach, is a brown belt at kick boxing, and even plays for one of
Wolverhampton Rugby Club's teams, as well as enjoying soccer, cycling
and archery. Busy lad. But there's little doubt that his
future lies in the theatre rather than any sporting pursuit. The show bristles with outstanding performers,
non better than lead vocalist Ian Pitter who does so much to link
various sections of the show together. On opening night Samantha Johnson
excelled as the main female vocalist, and there were powerful
contributions from Nathan James, of the long, flowing blond hair, and
the energetic Dwayne Wint. Many of Jackson's great hits are on the
programme, with a rousing reception for the epic Thriller near the end. Superb lighting effects add to a fine night
out. Thriller lives on at the Hippodrome till 30.04.11. Paul Marston
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