In its Oklahoma debut, 'MJ The Musical' brings Tony-winning Michael Jackson homage to OKC

Every time Jamaal Fields-Green takes the stage to portray Michael Jackson , he's not only playing the legendary "King of Pop," he's also performing as one of his personal childhood icons.

"I grew up an MJ fan, like I think the rest of the world did. ... Growing up in the Bronx, I would perform to 'Beat It,' 'You Rock My World' and 'Thriller' in my living room for my family. My grandfather was my DJ. So, I've always had a connection to his music from a very young age," Fields-Green said.

Over the summer, Fields-Green took over the title role in "MJ The Musical " for the North American tour of the four-time Tony Award-winning stage biopic , becoming the first performer to play the part on Broadway, on London's West End and on the national tour.

"MJ The Musical ," which is still playing on Broadway and the West End , makes its Oklahoma premiere Oct. 1-6 at Civic Center Music Hall as part of OKC Broadway's 2024-2025 season .

Created by Tony-winning director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon , who won the 2022 Tony Award for best choreography for his work on the show, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage , the musical biopic is centered around the making of Jackson's fabled 1992 "Dangerous World Tour."

The superstar's second global trek kicked off in June 1992 in Munich, Germany, crossed 69 countries across Europe and Asia and played for nearly 4 million people over a 16-month period. Sponsored by Pepsi, the massive tour in support of Jackson's 1991 album "Dangerous" included 1,000 lights, 10 miles of electrical cable, nine video screens, 168 speakers and two tons of clothing — and a goal to raise $100 million for charities helping children and the environment.

Ahead of the OKC bow of "MJ the Musical," Fields-Green talked with The Oklahoman about the joys and challenges of portraying Jackson, who was just 50 when he died June 25, 2009 , of an accidental drug overdose.

Q: What makes you love this role so much?

This role is probably one of the great examples of what a triple-threat role could be: I get the opportunity to really use my acting chops, I have to sing very well, but then I also have to dance very well for the entire show. So, I get to be in a position where I get to use all of the things I've been working on for the last 10 years or so. It's also great fun and enticing. ...

I'm currently on year three. I was originally a standby for Middle Michael and MJ on Broadway. I joined around the end of July, two years ago, back in 2022 after they won the Tonys. I did that for a year. ... I made my Broadway debut as MJ in August. ...

And then last year, I joined the tour and was the alternate. I did two (shows) a week as MJ. And then July of this year, while we were in Cleveland, I took over the role of MJ full time.

Q: Do you find different nuances to the role as you continue to play it?

With theater in general, the biggest challenge, I would say, is always, 'How can we make this show fresh after doing it for so long?' ... It's so easy for it to get stale, or for you to get complacent, after doing a show for a while. ...

But with this one, of course, I'm always watching footage. I'm always practicing, because ... it's a ceiling, and you can reach the ceiling. But once you reach the ceiling, then it raises again, and the bar raises. And it's always going to raise, because he was that good. And you'll never catch it, but as you chase it, it'll make you better. It'll make you a better artist, and it continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.

I'm always watching footage to see what new thing I can find to just continue (with) the nuances that I think I've been able to create, and the authenticity I've been able to create, for my iteration of MJ.

Q: What are the challenges of portraying a real person?

This is a character that wasn't just built out of thin air: This is someone that walked and breathed on this Earth, and his legacy is in our hands for the duration of the show. That's a responsibility that comes with a lot of discipline that you have to instill in yourself.

But for us, for someone that is impersonated so much, the goal is to not impersonate, but to embody.

For me, being a fan of his, I know that I'm not him. The audience knows that I'm not him, but I'm going to make sure that for these next two and a half hours that they're going to feel his presence and feel that I'm paying homage to him. So, authenticity is my key word with that. Just the best thing you could do is to make sure that it's as authentic as possible and has come from a place of love, respect and disciplined intent.

Q: This show doesn't chronicle the full biographical scope of his life, his music and his controversies. What does focusing on this one slice of time do for your performance, the storytelling and the audience?

I think it amplifies everything. For one, it separates the show from a lot of other jukebox musicals and stuff. This story is so grounded and so specific, it forces everyone — cast, crew and the theater patrons and audiences — to really just, I guess, lock in with the story that's being told.

What I love about it is that ... we're focusing on this one historic moment in time, this very specific moment in time, but at the end of the day, we're just telling the story about a human being behind an icon.

Q: What are the challenges of taking audiences beyond whatever they think they know about Michael Jackson?

It always presents its challenges, but it also presents its rewards. ... I think we all love a story of someone that felt bigger than life, but then seeing how human they were at the same time. ...

(With) someone that is already perceived as bigger than life, then how do you ground that person? And I think the answer is, you do the best that you can. But you also allow the bigger-than-life persona to kind of just take you for the ride, because, of course, we have these moments where we show the human being of who Michael really was. And then we also have the dope, awesome moments like a 'Smooth Criminal' or a 'Beat It,' where he was like a superhero.

I think probably the interesting thing about the show is that we're able to show the duality of the two and how they are both part of him.

Q: He was known as an iconic entertainer for a reason, so how do you perform 'Smooth Criminal' and some of his most challenging, famous hits night after night?

Cardio, cardio, cardio, hydration, hydration, hydration. Those are my best friends. ...

Then, certain lines or poses that he was able to create that are so iconic, you have to do them right, because if you don't, people are going to be able to be like, 'That's not what he did.' So, with that comes an extreme amount of discipline, self awareness, but also due diligence. ...

I think this role takes at least two months to settle into, for the dance and music specifically, and then outside of that, you have to constantly practice and perfect the craft ... because he was always perfecting it to the point where he just never stopped. And then he just reached this point of greatness — and we have to emulate that.

'MJ The Musical'

• When: Oct. 1-6.
• Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.
• Tickets: https://www.okcbroadway.com/mj .

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: In its Oklahoma debut, 'MJ The Musical' brings Tony-winning Michael Jackson homage to OKC