The Brand new Michael Jackson musical titled “DON’T STOP ‘TIL YOU GET ENOUGH” will premiere in Chicago in the fall 2019!
The Estate has announced via social medias that the musical will includes over 25 Michael Jackson songs and will begin pre-Broadway performances at Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre on Oct. 29 and run through Dec. 1.
The show, scored with Michael Jackson’s music and likely to attract global attention, is produced by the Michael Jackson estate in collaboration with Columbia Live Stage. The book is by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and the direction and original choreography is by Christopher Wheeldon, the former choreographer for the New York City Ballet who received critical acclaim on Broadway for his work on “An American in Paris.”
“This is not a Cirque du Soleil show, nor a tribute show, nor a hagiography,” said Nottage in an interview Tuesday, referencing two prior Cirque treatments of the Jackson oeuvre. “We are endeavoring to tell the story of one moment in the life of a very complicated man whose life was very fraught.”
That moment surrounds the making of the “Dangerous World Tour,” a 17-month live endeavor that traveled by 747, raised money for Jackson’s Heal the World charity and played to some from 3.5 million people in 70 stadium gigs from Bucharest to Bangkok in 1992 and 1993. It featured video technology far ahead of its time and included some $2 million worth of costumes for its star.
“We are homing in on the making of the music,” Nottage said, noting that the Jackson estate had allowed her creative freedom and understood that “Michael will always come with some controversy.”
“We are all very clear that we don’t want this to be a concert or an impersonation show,” Wheeldon said, in an earlier interview with the Tribune. “We want it to be a portrait of the artist, a man of contradictions that contained so much beauty. A life like Michael’s was so rich, dense and troubled. But there were these moments of great lightness. We are interested in celebrating Michael, and in breaking down his songs and really listening to them.”
Nottage said that genesis of the tour was selected because it was “the pinnacle of Michael’s career,” following on from such albums and tours as “Thriller,” “Off the Wall” and “Bad,” and containing material from that earlier work.
“We want to look at the pieces of his life that went into selecting his song list,” Nottage said. “What were the ingredients of his genius? I really want to unpack who he was and get inside of the machine. People just don’t know how much Michael was in control of his own art. This image of a gentle, soft-spoken man trumped the reality of a brilliant businessman, producer, songwriter and designer.”
“The mark Michael left on the world,” Wheeldon said, “was one of greatness.”
Casting has not yet been set, nor the number of performers playing Jackson finalized, but there will be more than one adult performer. A young performer will play Jackson as a child, when he first became a global superstar.
“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” will play Chicago’s newly renamed James M. Nederlander Theatre (formerly the Oriental Theatre) at 24 W. Randolph St., beginning Oct. 29 and running through Dec. 1; tickets are not yet on sale. Neither the Broadway theater nor the dates have yet been set, but the show is expected in New York in the spring of 2020.
DON’T STOP ’TIL YOU GET ENOUGHis the new musical that celebrates the artistry of Michael Jackson, featuring a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) and directed and choreographed by Tony Award® winner Christopher Wheeldon (An American in Paris).
The show takes audiences behind the scenes as Michael prepares for the 1992 Dangerous Tour, providing an in-depth look at his process. As Michael and his collaborators rehearse their epic setlist, we are transported to pivotal creative moments from his career.
Featuring over 25 of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits, DON’T STOP ’TIL YOU GET ENOUGH combines the singular talent of a cultural icon with the powerful storytelling of contemporary theatre.
All patrons, regardless of age, must have a paid ticket for admission. DON’T STOP ‘TIL YOU GET ENOUGH is recommended for ages 8+
More updates to come soon…
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I am so astonished and greatly surprised to the name of this show. I would love to know directly from the MJ Estate as to who or what inspired them to choose this song to represent MJ on Broadway? I do like it and I wish the project a great success. God Bless Michael 🙂