The way Jamaal Fields-Green tells it, his journey to becoming Michael Jackson wasn’t exactly destiny — it was serendipity.
In March 2022, the performer was sitting in a Broadway theater, watching “MJ The Musical” during intermission, when he checked his email. There, glowing on his phone screen, was an audition notice for future replacements in the role of MJ. “I was literally watching the show on Broadway when I got the email,” Fields-Green recalls. “It was crazy.”…
Playing someone as iconic and scrutinized as Michael Jackson comes with unique challenges that go beyond typical character work. “I’m playing someone that walked and breathed on this earth,” Fields-Green explains. “Someone who has a legacy that they left behind, and their legacy is in my hands for the duration of the show. And with that is a huge responsibility. I don’t take it very lightly. But with that, I have no choice but to continuously perfect the craft of playing MJ.”…
“This choreography is so detailed. It’s hard. It requires a lot of determination and focus,” he says. “I still practice to this day.” The show’s choreography, created by two-time Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon with input from Jackson’s own collaborators, has earned Tony and Olivier Awards. “It speaks for itself with the awards, but when you also see it, it’s mesmerizing to say the least,” Fields-Green notes.