A German production of MJ The Musical officially opened December 1 at Hamburg’s Stage Theater an der Elbe. The production is the first MJ staging to incorporate translated dialogue while all songs remain in English.
Benét Monteiro leads the company in the title role. Joining him are DNPRI, Mario Gremlich, David Hughey, Jay Karim Jonker, Jessica Mears, Perci Moeketsi, OXA, Eve Rades, Pedro Reichert, and Prince Damien.
The ensemble includes William Baugh, Caleaf Henson, Lea-Katharina Krebs, Adrianna Patłaszyńska, Rafael Portela, Prince Orji, Roberto Vai,Daniel Vliek, and Zoë van Zadelhoff. Swings Vic Anthony, Naomi Dundas, Timna Engelmayer Gee'rald, OJ Lynch, Léo Maindron, Rob “Krucible“ Marshall, Gyman Reeb, and Noey Viereck round out the company.
“The German cast is terrific,” Tony-winning director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon said in a statement. “It’s been a pleasure working with all these talents on and off stage and to see this wonderful production come to life in Hamburg, a city vibrant of arts and a long musical tradition. Hearing the audience’s reaction in the first previews assured us of the fact that Michael Jackson enjoys a huge and passionate fan base in Germany.”
MJ, whose Broadway premiere began previews December 6, 2021, prior to an official opening February 1, 2022, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and a score made up of some of the most popular songs in recording history. Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon directs and choreographs.
The musical also has sets by Derek McLane, lighting by Natasha Katz, costumes by Paul Tazewell, sound design by Gareth Owen, projection design by Peter Nigrini, hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe, music direction by Jason Michael Webb, musical supervision by David Holcenberg, and orchestrations by Holcenberg and Webb. Casting is by Rachel Hoffman of The Telsey Office.
The show took home four 2022 Tony Awards in total, including Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design in a Musical, and Best Sound Design in a Musical. Additional productions are currently running in the West End and on tour in North America, with an Australia production set to open in 2025.
MJ is produced by Lia Vollack, John Branca and John McClain. Stage Entertainment also produces the Hamburg production.
Visit MJTheMusical.com.
