Michael Jackson built a legacy which lives on beyond his death. Soon we will see his legacy displayed live on stage.
According to a Variety report, the Michael Jackson Estate and Columbia Live Stage announced on Tuesday that a new musical is currently in the works. The staged musical will celebrate the life of the famed singer. While an official theater hasn’t been announced, fans can look for the show to debut in 2020.
In collaboration with the show, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lynn Nottage will release a book. Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon is slated to direct and choreograph the staged effort.
Of course, this show is expected to use music from Jackson’s extensive musical catalog. This includes fans favorites such as “Thriller,” “Beat It” and “Rock With You.” The list is virtually endless.
Be that as it may, it is unknown if the Jackson Estate will allow Wheeldon to include the more contentious elements of Jackson’s life such as his 2005 trial and acquittal for charges of child sexual abuse.
Still, with the backing of his estate, we expect this show to live up to all of his glory. In the past, the estate has been highly critical of projects using the King of Pop’s likeness without their involvement–namely ABC’s more recent Michael Jackson special which aired on television a few weeks ago.
In the meantime, other musician based musicals have reached the Broadway stage such as Jersey Boys, On Your Feet, and Beautiful which pays tribute to singers like the Temptations, Gloria Estefan, and Carole King.
