Michael Jackson is arguably the most well-known name in pop history and anything which bears his name is sure to garner huge amounts of attention. It is therefore a huge thing for the Sydney (and Australian) musical theatre scene that the 10-time Tony nominated musical based upon the singer’s life has been brought to the Harbour City, after runs on Broadway, the West End and in Hamburg, and it has already garnered significant press attention and ticket sales in the first week of its run. 

The musical tells the story of Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous Tour and the process leading up to it, as a film crew from MTV gain access to the rehearsal space to try to get a rare insight into Jackson’s life. With the help of the two reporters (Penny McNamee and Yashith Fernando), MJ (Roman Banks) tells the story of his life, from his beginnings in the Jackson 5 through his teenage years up to the point of superstardom. 

The show is driven by Jackson’s incredible music catalogue and all of his biggest hits are littered through the show, with over 40 songs for the audience to enjoy. The music is some of the best in the pop world, so it is no surprise that this translates well to the stage, with the audience loving energetic performances of everything from “Billie Jean” to “Man in the Mirror.” The show is a love letter to Jackson’s music, and it was showcased incredibly well throughout the production. 

While the storyline of the musical has received criticism in the United States for being uninteresting and formulaic, on the Australian stage, it felt well put-together, taking the audience through a chronology of Jackson’s early life (including his troubles with his father) before chronicling his idiosyncrasies, obsessions and peculiarities as he made increasingly bizarre demands in the lead up to the Dangerous Tour. The production showed Jackson as a troubled and eccentric yet brilliant man but also charted some of the reasons why he may have been that way, which was an interesting insight into someone who let very few into his inner circle. Indeed, within the framework of a jukebox musical (and compared to similar works), this narrative had a lot more substance and intrigue than most. 

The timeline of the musical also stops in 1992, perhaps conveniently right before the child abuse allegations against Jackson first surfaced. While this will undoubtedly be something that is picked up by many in the audience when attending this musical, the production situates itself in a time period where, as a work of biographical fiction, it does not have to confront the most challenging part of Jackson’s legacy. Critics have differing views on the perception of this, but ultimately, this review proceeds upon an analysis of the work itself, rather than what is excluded. 

Ultimately, this is a show that lives and dies on the casting of the various versions of Michael Jackson and in this show, all three were fantastic, giving truly inspired performances. William Bonner was superb as Little Michael, giving heart and emotion to very difficult songs while Liam Damons as teenage Michael did a fantastic job of showing Jackson developing his charisma but still possessing a hint of shyness and awkwardness that only made his performance more endearing. With Damons making his professional theatre debut in this production, there is no doubt he is one to watch for the future. 

But the star of this show is Roman Banks, who gave an absolutely masterful performance as MJ. After starring as MJ on the Broadway tour, it was no surprise that Banks had the role down perfectly but even so, his ability to mimic Jackson’s mannerisms was truly remarkable and a testament to his craft as a performer. His presence was entrancing, and his voice was something to behold, lighting up the Lyric Theatre with his tone and resonance. His performance was considered enough to not feel bombastic but had a charisma and passion about it that very much captured Jackson the performer and this made the whole show sing. Banks is right up there with the best musical theatre performers in the world at the moment and it is safe to say that he made this known, receiving a lengthy standing ovation at the curtain call. 

The rest of the cast was also superb, with many hailing from the USA, especially in the ensemble. While the quality of the casting was outstanding, it does raise the question as to whether more Australian performers could have been included in the production. Producer Michael Cassel revealed to the Sydney Morning Herald that the intention was to cast an Australian MJ, but that they ultimately casted Banks, and while this certainly made sense based on Banks’ performance, the casting of the ensemble is perhaps more of a worry. In essence, this is a problem that cannot solely be resolved in casting for big productions but is a systemic issue that needs to be looked at in the Australian theatre landscape, starting with drama schools and their admissions processes. We are getting dangerously close to a point where Australian theatre can no longer accurately tell the stories that Australians want told and that should be something of concern to everyone in the industry.  

The set design was also whimsical and considered, with the two “Thriller” numbers, the first being set in the graveyard of the music video and the second being set in the circus, were terrifyingly pervasive and flawless in their execution. This was a theme of the entire show, with everything on stage being executed perfectly, resulting in a seamless audience experience. 

Ultimately, if there was any show in Sydney that both non-theatre goers and tragics alike should attend, it would be this one. Everything in this production is of the highest quality, with Banks’ performance in particular being a true standout. This is a show for lovers of pop music and with flawless execution, there are few better theatrical experiences out there at the moment. This production has the music, the story, the effects and the talent to satisfy everyone in the audience and the lengthy standing ovation on the night reviewed was a testament to that. This is more than just a tribute to Michael Jackson or a cover-band show, this is musical theatre at its very best and should be commended to everyone in Sydney to watch before it leaves in August. This is truly a masterpiece in theatrical performance and execution. 

Rating: ★★★★★

MJ The Musical plays at the Lyric Theatre until 3^rd August, 2025. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Daniel Boud