On June 25, 2009, the world lost one of the most influential pop icons. Possessing a global presence that permeated every facet of pop culture, Michael Jackson has spawned numerous documentaries, books, and movies made about his life. Now, MJ the Musical moonwalks his life and legacy onto the big stage for the first time.
After making its Broadway debut in December 2021, the musical quickly achieved success and launched its first national tour in 2023. Rolling through the First Interstate Center for the Arts from July 8 through 13, MJ guides audience members through the trials and tribulations behind Michael Jackson's 1992 Dangerous World Tour.
A jukebox musical chock-full of some of Jackson's most recognizable hits such as "Beat It," "Man in the Mirror" and "Billie Jean," MJ balances tender moments within Jackson's personal life with the thrilling musical numbers and performances that were his calling card.
It presents a new, intimate portrayal of the King of Pop, one that seeks to humanize the super-celebrity by addressing the pressures of fame, interpersonal conflicts and Jackson's not-so-rose-colored childhood memories. Notably the musical avoids discussing Jackson's child sexual abuse allegations.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Jackson's life was his ability to juggle multiple skills, disciplines, and roles. From dancing to singing to producing, he was a bona fide jack-of-all-trades.
Not unlike the pop icon, actor J. Daughtry is expertly balancing multiple roles in MJ the Musical. In the show, he plays four roles: Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Nick (stage manager for the Dangerous World Tour), Don Cornelius, and Doctor.
Daughtry hasn't always been an actor. He went to college to study business and marketing, and his path to becoming an accomplished actor — whose credits include Broadway stints in The Color Purple, Beautiful, Ain't Too Proud, and touring productions of Miss Saigon and Motown: The Musical — is far from standard.
"I like to say I've had three lives," Daughtry says. "I was a banker, a teacher, and now I'm a musical theater performer, and it's been quite a journey from getting there to here."
The rich life experience gathered along this unconventional path to Broadway informs his acting on all fronts, especially working with kids as a teacher, which he says was both humbling and self-illuminating.
Daughtry grew up listening to Michael Jackson and was even compared to the singer as a child when he sang in his church's choir. For Daughtry, his roles in this show are personal.
"It's easy for me to portray [Berry Gordy] because he's just like my uncles or just like the deacons at my church that I grew up with," Daughtry says. "So telling stories like this is very much so telling my culture, my experience, growing up... Being able to preserve that on stage is very important to me. I feel like it's an obligation that I have — to use my gift in order to preserve that culture."
In the musical, Jackson reflects on working with Gordy as a child as part of The Jackson 5, recalling both the good and the bad. This dive into the unseen side of Jackson's childhood grants the audience a more private look into his life, further humanizing the pop star.
Performing numerous characters in the same show may seem dizzying to some, but Daughtry says switching from playing Gordy to Jackson's stage manager, Nick, comes naturally.
"I think that Nick is more me being myself, and Berry Gordy is Berry Gordy," he says.
Other character switches, however, are more complicated. Daughtry also plays Rob and Joe Jackson. And due to the closeness between brothers Joe and Michael, it's at times difficult to switch from being Joe to a less intimate character.
Since this tour of MJ the Musical is a multiyear commitment, its cast and crew also develop strong bonds between each other. Rehearsing, traveling, and going out to eat together on days off all builds a sense of camaraderie. Although it can feel like being in a bubble, Daughtry says that they like to keep it fun.
He hopes audiences walk away from Spokane's run of the show with a greater appreciation for Michael Jackson's humanity, rather than seeing him solely as a pop icon.
"I want people to walk away not just feeling good and remembering the music, and feeling nostalgic from the music, but also getting the opportunity to see that this was an actual human being who had dark sides and was struggling in a way." ♦
MJ the Musical • July 8-13; Tue-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2 and 7:30 pm, Sun at 1 and 6:30 pm • $56-$196 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • broadwayspokane.com
