MJ ONE revamped and extended to 2030

I’d heard rumours that during the shows 2 week hiatus, Jamie King, the shows director had returned and was working on changes to the show. But as fans we always know to treat rumours with caution so I didn’t take too much note.

On Sunday morning while in the MJ One Boutique a member of the team told me the updated show was rolling out for the first time that night!

It seemed like fate. I’m a huge lover of Michael Jackson One and to be there for it’s biggest upgrade in 11 years felt serendipitous.

By now you’re probably reading this thinking, enough of your life story, just tell us what’s different.

So if you don’t want spoilers – stop reading now!

For those of you still here – Let’s get to it.

Opening / Beat It
The show opening monologue remains the same, but what’s been added is a large assembly of Paparazzi now standing on the stage arms folded. As Mephisto rages and starts to pull the misfits into the system, a huge array of drone (yes, actual drones!) Now fly out into the audience, flashing red and white, and forming shapes. As the fly back in, the Paparazzi collect them and Beat It begins.

The Paparazzi who descend from the ceiling now come in, later in the song as the dancers take the lead.

Leave Me Alone / Tabloid Junkie / 2 Bad
The rocket has been removed from this segment to create more space.

Stranger In Moscow
The new rope performer for this segment is much more accomplished which makes the performance more intricate. Of the four main characters, Sneaky is still in the piece, but Shy has also been added, walking around and braving the cold.

BAD
Bad remains mostly the same, though ‘Clumsy’ has a new costume, designed by Zaldy, featuring bright blue leather pants with buckles and a leather blue vest. At the end of the song he earns his jacket, which is now also a bright blue leather.

Smooth Criminal
The acrobats in this section were far superior to any incarnation of the show I’ve seen since 2014. More flips and spins. It seemed as though there were more performers during this song.

I’ll Be There
This appeared mostly the same. Perhaps some upgrades to the graphics.

Human Nature / Never Can Say Goodbye
Again, mostly the same but with the addition of music notes on screen.

Jam
Jam featured an upgraded visual moving from the former cyan to a red visual surrounding both the main screen and side screens.

Again, ‘Shy’s costume has been re-imagined by Zaldy, changing from the previous black and yellow to a soft pink.

New dancers in white, with different variations of Michael’s costumes have been added to the song to assist Shy. Each performer features either an M or a J on their back.

They Don’t Care About Us
This has always been a room shattering highlight of the show anyway, but Jamie King found a way to make it relevant for 2024.

The Moon Goddess floats above central stage this time delivering the power vocals of the female vocalist on the remix of TDCAU.

The visuals have been updated to include references to modern day violence, racism, hatred, climate emergency, shootings and now features recent footage of recent rights marches in the U.S.

As TDCAU has again become the soundtrack to unrest and struggle of our time, it’s only right that this be reflected in the show and it works perfectly.

Earth Song
Remains the same.

Smile
Remains the same.

Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
WBSS has been changed several times throughout the shows 11 year run. Original it was a multi- hat-trick performed by 3 artists. During Covid the artists left the U.S and didn’t return, so it was replaced with a dance number.

However it’s been fully updated with a new group of performers who masterfully command the stage using light up diabolos. Multiple diabolos are in play at any one time and the cast use a large rope to send one spinning around ‘Smarty Pants’. The costumes are also new, created by Zaldy, with the cast wearing black PVC pants and military jackets. This new feature was really exciting to see as it brought the traditional circus element into the show.

PYT / You Rock My World / The Way You Make Me Feel
This remained mostly the same, except for some of the elements such as the phone box and the bench remaining suspended in the air for longer.

Dangerous / Dirty Diana
Remained the same with the addition of shooting flames as the performance builds.

This Place Hotel / Workin’ Day and Night
Remains the same

Billie Jean
Remains the same.

Scream
I always felt the shows biggest let down was Scream. It’s the most expensive music video ever made and it was hidden behind a really bad filtered version of the music video, mixed with an animation.

Thankfully, this has been fully updated with brand new visuals. The style is still anime, but the Scream short film is on screens throughout this digital metropolis. There’s much more Michael and much more Janet and the footage remains untouched. The four show characters have been updated to reflect designs of today and it’s a much more cohesive piece.

Thriller
For the most part, Thriller remains the same, though there are more dancers who interact with the audience more. The costumes have been updated and fit the original Thriller concept better than what had been used prior.

There’s also the inclusion of the 2017 Scream Album visual and artwork as the song opens.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment for me with the revamp is that the footage from the Thriller Short Film hasn’t been updated to the 4K version which was released to coincide with Thriller 40. I think this would take an already incredible performance to the next level.

Speechless
The song has been completely removed from the show, safe for the outro which remains.

*The Mime Segment* NEW
In place of Speechless, this section now starts with the Mime Segment from the Immortal World Tour. The dancer who features in Human Nature returns to glide across the stage to this mix of Michael’s work. The Mime segment usual ends with a short portion of Another Part Of Me…

*Another Part of Me* NEW
…however a more complete version of the song has been added as an entirely new song to the show for 2024. A selection of performers from all different parts of the show come together, uniting and dancing while the 4 main chnaracters watch on.

To say I was excited by this was an understatement. I love Another Part of Me (yes, more than Streetwalker!), so to have it included was really special and it got the audience moving in their seats – a contrast to the previously sombre performance of Speechless.

I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
The performance aspect of IJCSLY remains the same, HOWEVER, there is now the inclusion of Michael front the Dangerous Tour singing his parts of the song. He appears on the screen surrounded by dust and sparkles and disappears each time the Moon Goddess sings Siedah’s parts. This gave the performance a whole new dimension and felt like there was an effort to bring ‘more Michael’ into the show by Jamie King. It worked beautifully here.

Man In The Mirror
This remained the same, though there seemed to be birds and butterflies on the trees surrounding Neverland. I cannot recall if this was there previously.

Can You Feel It / Dancing Machine
This was previously updated after the show returned from the Pandemic. It features the reissued version of Can You Feel It with MLK and a marching band. As it blends into Dancing Machine, footage of Michael performing the song in the 70s plays out on the back screen.

Black Or White
This remains the same

Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough.
This remains mostly the same, but the cast are now sent into the theatre to dance in the aisles. Small trampolines are pulled from the front of the stage to help the acrobats get back up from the audience. This makes DSTYGE far more interactive and the cast engaged heavily with the audience.

The Finale
Previously the 4 main characters would toaster back onto the stage and the main curtain would drop to reveal the MJ ONE logo for the final applause.

Now, the image of Michael in the red shirt behind the camera from Liberian Girl short film descends and transitions into the video version with Michael saying “ok everybody that’s a wrap!”

People literally cheered so loudly at this! I had never known the finale to be so loud. And including this really ties up the show and the concept of the show perfectly.

After The Show
As I was leaving, I saw Jamie King, the Show’s creative director. I shared my initial thoughts and he was shocked I’d seen the show 9 times. I thanked him for giving the show a new lease of life and he was very humble for the praise.

I also congratulated Karen.

I want to be clear that anyone who knows me knows I love MJ ONE and I talk about it a lot. I think Cirque and Jamie King have done a wonderful job with the show. I know I am often critical of the Estate and that makes some people uncomfortable but, as I have always said, I will praise what they do well and hold them to a standard when I think it could be better. This approach isn’t for everyone, but it’s the best way I know how and I’m sticking with that.

I think this revamp was needed and now having it play out, I think its even more evident as to just how needed it was. It puts Michael Jackson One ahead of other Cirque shows and with the recent news that it’s been renewed for another 5 years to 2030, this refresh is going to ensure it lasts over this time. I’m seeing the show again in October and so im looking forward to seeing how embedded the new elements of the show are at this time.

A final thought…
Prior to seeing the show, I tweeted that Jamie King, the creative director and Michael’s former back up dancer had been revamping the show and was there on the first night of the new show. Several fans responded to my tweets, confusing Jamie King with another person who shares the same surname, spreading misinformation about JAMIE King, attributing the actions of the other person to him. It’s really important as fans that if we are going to hold others to account for spreading misinformation about Michael, that we are not doing the same ourselves. It’s this type of carelessness that can open people up to unnecessary hate and trolling when all they’re doing is being positive of Michael. It’s incumbent on us to ensure we are well researched in who is being spoken about being leg kicking ourselves into a mess.