MJ The Musical
Sydney Lyric Theatre Until 22 June
Irish singer-songwriter and activist Bob Geldof, who is touring Australia at the moment, visited the Sydney Lyric Theatre on Wednesday night to watch the Australian company of the four-time Tony® Award-winning musical MJ and meet with the cast after the show.
Bob shared stories of working with, and his memories of, Michael Jackson with the cast and praised them for their performance.
“Spectacular show. World class performance and production. I enjoyed every moment of every scene,” he said.
Brought to Australia by leading producer Michael Cassel, alongside original Broadway producers Lia Vollack, John Branca, and John McClain, MJ is now playing at the Sydney Lyric.
MJ takes the audience back to 1992 and inside the creation of the iconic Dangerous World Tour. The production goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. From the mind of two-time Pulitzer Prize winning Lynn Nottage, MJ imagines that an MTV journalist and her camera operator are invited into the rehearsal room of Michael Jackson’s spectacular concert experience and through their lens, reveals moments from the complex history of his life including the challenges he faces to match the Dangerous World tour to his creative genius.
Seen by more than a million people on Broadway, MJ was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning four including Best Choreography for the show’s creator, Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet Christopher Wheeldon OBE, and Best Actor in a Musical for the show’s original Broadway star, Myles Frost.
Featuring more than 25 of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits from across his career including Beat It, Smooth Criminal, Man in The Mirror and Thriller, MJ has captured the hearts and imaginations of Broadway audiences where it consistently plays to packed houses.
Critically acclaimed performer Roman Banks leads the Australian company following his spectacular debut in the role in Chicago in 2023. He went on to play the role more than 200 times across the United States.
Banks made his historic Broadway debut in the award-winning production Dear Evan Hansen, marking the first time an African American performer had portrayed the title role. After leaving Dear Evan Hansen, Banks was cast as Howie in Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, before returning to the stage to lead the US National Tour of MJ, a portrayal that earned him both audience and critical acclaim, with the Chicago Sun-Times calling him “a force of nature” and the Houston Chronicle saying “what Banks does on stage as MJ is nothing short of miraculous.” 
MJ marks Banks’ debut performance in Australia, and he said he is thrilled to be part of this extraordinary production in Sydney.
Banks is joined by newcomer Liam Damons playing Michael as a young adult, Josslynn Hlenti Afoa as Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine, Conlon Bonner playing the dual roles of Tito Jackson and Quincy Jones, Derrick Davis playing Michael’s father, Joseph, and his tour director, Rob, Yashith Fernando as Alejandro, Wonza Johnson as Berry Gordy and Nick, Tim Wright as Dave, and Home and Away star Penny McNamee making her highly anticipated return to the stage as MTV journalist, Rachel.
The rest of the cast is completed by Ceeko, Ilario Grant, Albanus Terry Strickland II, Beth Appiah Cain, Shewit Belay, Martha Berhane, Eric Boyd, Charlie Bryant, Liam Costello, Xavier Gibson, Kyle Kavully, G Madison IV, Loredo Malcolm, David L. Murray Jr, Sebaga Neumann, Coby Njoroge, Warren Nolan Jr, Fletcher O’Leary, Brittany Page, Dustin Praylow, Tigist Strode and Iris Wei. Little Michael and Little Marlon are played by Kayleb Alese, Blaiyze Barksdale, Charlie Batchelor, William Bonner, Cayden Dosoruth, Daniel Makunike, Zavier Pillay, and Kael Smith.
Casting for the Australian production was a meticulous process, led by director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon OBE who recently earned great acclaim for his creation of Oscar for the Australian Ballet, the first full length narrative ballet commissioned by the company in two decades.
The Australian premiere of MJ is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.
MJ opened on Broadway in February 2022 while a US tour began performances in Chicago in August 2023. A London production began in March 2024 and the German production opened in December 2024.
MJ is now playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre tickets available at mjthemusical.com.au. Due to overwhelming demand, the season has been extended to 3 August.
Fans can also access tickets through the exclusive TodayTix mobile Lottery which is now available. Each week successful entrants will have the chance to purchase up to two tickets to MJ at the exclusive price of $45. The lottery runs every week of the Sydney season, opening on a Friday and drawing the following Thursday at 1pm via the TodayTix app.
“Pure joy”
The Sydney Morning Herald
“Roman Banks as the King of Pop is a revelation”
News.com.au
“Exhilarating and electrifying”
Limelight
“You’ve never seen anything like it!!”
Richard Wilkins
With a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winning writer Lynn Nottage (Ruined, Sweat) MJ is directed and choreographed by Royal Ballet Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon OBE, who won the Tony Award for Best Choreography of a Musical for MJ, and whose previous award-winning directing credits include An American in Paris.
The internationally renowned creative team for MJ also includes Scenic Design by Tony Award and two-time Emmy Award winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Lighting Design by six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Once), Costume Design by Tony Award and Emmy Award winner Paul Tazewell (Hamilton), Sound Design by Tony Award and Olivier Award winning Gareth Owen (Come From Away), Projection Design by two-time Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini (Dear Evan Hansen), Hair & Wig Design by two-time Emmy Award nominee Charles LaPointe (The Color Purple) and Make-up Design by Joe Dulude II. Musical Supervision is by Tony Award nominee David Holcenberg (Matilda), and the Orchestrations and Arrangements are by David Holcenberg and Tony Award winner Jason Michael Webb (The Color Purple). Casting Director for the Australian Production is Lauren Wiley with Additional Casting by The Telsey Office (Rachel Hoffman, CSA & Lindsay Levine, CSA).
