The Michael Jackson Estate has partnered with Columbia Stage Live to develop a new stage musical inspired by the life and music of Michael Jackson. The show is set to arrive on Broadway sometime in 2020, and the score will include some of Jackson's most influential hits such as "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal," "Beat It," and "Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough," the song that earned Jackson his first career GRAMMY for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 22nd GRAMMY Awards.
While the show's title and the theatre that will host it were not revealed, some of the key contributors have been announced. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage is on board to write the book and Tony Award-winning ballet superstar Christopher Wheeldon will handle choreography, according to Variety.
The new show follows a slew of so-called "jukebox musicals" featuring the life and works of music artists, including "Jersey Boys" (The Four Seasons), "On Your Feet" (Gloria Estefan), "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," and "Beautiful: The Carol King Musical," which won two Tony Awards in 2014.
Jackson's remarkable career, from his time in the Jackson 5 to his worldwide success as a solo artists, was cut short in 2009 by the singer's untimely death. In 2010, he was honored with The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, and Jackson also received the prestigious GRAMMY Legend Award in 1993.
The Jackson Estate previously sanctioned two Cirque du Soleil shows, and has produced other posthumous projects including a Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D and the albums Michael and Xscape.
