When looking at the life of Michael Jackson, a life that was filled with so much tragedy, pain, heartache and controversy, it would be very easy to create a really meaty two hour play focussing on all those things that the tabloids just couldn’t wait to publish – whether they were true or not. Instead, director/choreographer Gary Lloyd and Executive Director Adrian Grant have put together the ultimate Michael Jackson tribute show.
There are a couple of issues with the show in that, no matter how good the vocalists are (and they really are very good), there will never be another Michael and so they do sometimes pale a little in comparison and the other issue is that, if the show is called Thriller Live, it would be nice if everything that the audience are hearing is actually live!
Having said that, the cast of five vocalists and more than a dozen dancers, together with the live six-piece band, are working with one of the best back catalogues of music ever created and, as they work their way through it, the audience waste no time in getting into the spirit. Each song, from the very earliest Jackson 5 hits like I Want You Back and ABC, through to their disco classics Shake Your Body, Can You Feel It and Blame It On The Boogie, has the full house singing and clapping along – and we haven’t even touched on Michael’s huge list of solo hits yet.
The four lead vocalists, Shaquille Hemmans, Britt Quentin, Adriana Figueroa and Rory Taylor, supported by additional vocalist Ina Van Woersem, take turns to deliver the numbers, sometimes alone and sometimes in harmony, with each highlighting a slightly different facet of the classic Jackson vocal ability but with all of them delivering performances that reflect their love and admiration for Michael. Of the four leads, it is Taylor who has the strongest and purest voice and his rendition of She’s Out Of My Life is the magical highlight of the first half.
The supporting dancers all work tremendously hard with numerous costume changes and some very complicated choreography by Gary Lloyd. Whether they are stomping their way through the disco classics or delivering hip hop acrobatics, they all seem to take the breakneck pace of the show in their stride. Special mention also has to go to Andy Jeffcoat and the Thriller Live Band who blast their way through hit after hit, recreating faithfully the original sound.
Brazillian Eddy Lima is a superb Michael Jackson look-alike. He has obviously studied Jackson’s classic routines incredibly carefully and he delivers them with consumate skill and pinpoint precision but the fact that he doesn’t sing those iconic numbers like Billie Jean, Bad and Thriller does leave some of the audience feeling a little short-changed.
Without doubt, the highlight of the second half is a four vocal version of Michael’s showstopping spectacular, Earth Song. The video screens, which surround the metal gantry set, all spring to life with images of our world being ruined by “progress” and the full cast give a supremely passionate performance which, justifiably, gets the biggest applause of the evening.
Thriller Live is not a musical, it’s not even Michael Jackson’s life story, but it is a wonderful reminder of the greatest entertainer that the world has ever known. A talent that disappeared far too soon and a man who, despite everything that happened in his life, managed to create music that will outlive us all.
**** Four Stars
