In another sign that Broadway doesn’t see a quick return of theater amid the coronavirus pandemic, the producers of a musical about Michael Jackson postponed performances until next year.
MJ the musical’s first preview is now scheduled for March 8, ahead of an April 15 opening, according to a press release from the lead producers, Lia Vollock and the Michael Jackson estate.
The show was to arrive at the Neil Simon Theatre on July 6, 2020, a plan officially made moot when the Broadway League cancelled performances through at least Labor Day. Shortly after the League’s announcement yesterday, the producers of Plaza Suite, starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, said the revival won’t begin previews until March 19, 2021.
According to a 2019 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, MJ is to be capitalized at $22.5 million. Ephraim Sykes, a Tony Award nominee for Ain’t Too Proud, will play Jackson, the pop star who died in 2009.
