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THEATER | ALBUQUERQUE
Get ready for a 'Thriller' of a show with 'MJ the Musical'
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“MJ the Musical” — a Tony-winning jukebox musical about the legendary, chart-topping “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson — comes to Popejoy Hall, opening Wednesday, Dec. 10, and running through Sunday, Dec. 14.
Jordan Markus, who plays Jackson, is a lifelong fan of the musician.
“Growing up, I remember one of the first music videos that I saw was MJ’s ‘Bad’ video. And I remember trying to twirl around in my grandma’s living room to emulate Michael,” Markus said. “I really gravitated toward his music, and him as a person.
“I feel like most people had a Michael phase growing up, but mine lasted a little longer than most. I think it paid off, though,” he said.
Getting cast to portray his childhood hero onstage was a dream come true for Markus, but it also came with tremendous pressure.
“Being such a fan before I stepped into this show, and now learning even more about Michael from portraying him every night, the pressure came from me first,” Markus said. “And then, I felt like a lot of people were going to expect me to not be able to pull this off. That’s just the nature of the beast.”
Markus said he was able to turn those doubts and anxieties into positive motivation.
“It turned into fuel,” he said. “Like, do you ever get that feeling where someone tells you that you can’t do something, and it makes you want to do it even more, like, to prove them wrong, and to prove to yourself that you can achieve great things? I think that the pressure of it being a daunting task, helped a bit in the process.”
The cast of “MJ the Musical” learned Jackson’s signature dance moves from choreographer brothers Rich and Tone Talauega, who danced with Jackson in the 1990s. The Talauegas also choreographed “Michael,” a forthcoming biopic starring the singer’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, which is slated to be released in April 2026.
“They came in and whipped us into shape,” Markus said. “I remember doing ‘Billie Jean’ for the first couple weeks that we were rehearsing. It was just the first eight counts of ‘Billie Jean’ for the first week. Like, they really wanted to nail the details and instill in us that perfectionism that Michael lived with his entire life. So, to portray him honestly, that’s what it took.”
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Although the rehearsals were grueling, Markus felt grateful to learn from two people who had worked so closely with Jackson and to gain firsthand insight into the artist’s process.
“Rich and Tone would sit us down sometimes and tell us stories about what they did on breaks during rehearsals,” Markus said, “and how Michael, when he was in the room, always wanted all the speakers to be at their highest peak, to feel the music, not just hear it. So, you could barely hear anything else but the bass in that room, they would say. It was a really surreal experience to be able to get that information firsthand from people who were there with him.”
Markus said he’s always been a soft-spoken person, so emulating Jackson’s speaking voice was not difficult. But capturing the essence of his personality required more research.
“I did a lot of studying of his interviews and rehearsal footage, which luckily I found online, and even read his autobiography, ‘Moonwalk,’” Markus said. “I wanted to dive into anything that I could that was Michael, to really understand him, from what he sounded like to what he looked like to what he smelled like to what he felt in any given moment. I really wanted to understand the man behind all of the glamor, to give an honest portrayal of him onstage.”
One thing that fascinated Markus about Jackson was the contrast between his offstage shyness and his supreme confidence while performing.
“Michael on stage had the confidence that we all strive to have in our daily lives,” Markus said. “I mean, he could do no wrong. You could tell it just oozed out of his ears, the confidence and the bravado that he had on stage.”
Like Jackson, Markus said he feels most at home while performing.
“Being on stage is such a freeing experience, especially in a live theater show,” he said. “There’s just something about the energetic exchange that we get from this cast of 30 giving all of our energy to this crowd of thousands, and them giving it right back to us.”
The touring production of “MJ the Musical” traveled to over 40 cities so far, and the response, Markus said, has been “electric.”
“I’m having time in my life on this tour,” he said. “This is a show full of respect and reverence for this great art, and this great artist.”
Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the Albuquerque Journal. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. You can reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at @loganroycebeitmen.
