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(ear)
Bop in the aisles entertainment
Thriller Live Wolverhampton Grand
Theatre *****
ADRIAN GRANT'S Thriller Live is great fun for the whole family, with
grandchildren and grannies alike clapping, rocking and dancing to two
and a half hours of wall-to-wall Michael Jackson hits. The show is
crowd-pleasing, non-stop entertainment with great, high energy
choreography. The first
half of the show brings us memories of the 60s and 70s with a young
Michael leading the Jackson Five, later to become the Jacksons, with
oldies such as ABC
and I'll Be There.
The very talented 12 year old MJ Mytton
Sannah is amazing with all the charm, the
voice and style of the young Michael. Lead vocalists Sean Christopher,
Nathan James, Ian Pitter and Shanay Holmes fronted the talented line up
with Jovanny Pichardo Almonte providing some excellent sequences as lead
dancer and vocalist. The second half of the show takes us through the 80s to the noughties when Jackson's work became more of a ‘package'; the music, the performance, the video. The audience is thrilled with classics such as Beat It, Man in the Mirror and Bad all the way through to Thriller.
The stage is glitzy but can't say
that I took that much note of the set or even the small amount of
narrative, so good was the action. The lighting, at times was
blindingly uncomfortable when turned onto the audience. The best kept
secret was the band, on stage throughout but hidden behind the staging.
We each of us have our views on
Jackson as a man and a human being but as a celebration of the
phenomenal talent that was Michael Jackson, this show is first class
and, judging by the reactions of this Wolverhampton audience, the
whole world does appear to be a fan of his music. To 02-10-10. Lynda Ford And another thriller
. . . . ***** MANY rated Michael Jackson
the world's greatest-ever entertainer, and this sparkling two-hour show
offers plenty of evidence to support that view. It's a terrific, pulsating
experience of non-stop music, singing, dancing and dramatic lighting
effects - in fact, a real thriller. Excellent lead vocalist Ian Pitter
tells the audience they can expect a rollercoaster ride through the life
and times of the controversial American singer, and that's exactly what
they get from a highly talented cast. And there is an impressive
performance from 12-year-old Wolverhampton schoolboy MJ Mytton-Sannah.
Surely a star in the making. He appears right at the start of
the show as the youngster in the Jackson Five, and the lad who trains
with the local Stagecoach company and is a brown belt at kick
boxing oozed confidence, especially in the second act with Heal the
World. Dazzling choreography by the
director-choreographer Gary Lloyd was supported by breathtaking visual
effects on a huge screen at the rear of the stage where the band, under
musical supervisor and arranger John Maher, played superbly. Jovanny Pichardo Almonte earned
cheers for his singing and dancing and moonwalking as Jackson in
Thriller, which appropriately brought this fine show to its conclusion,
and there were other outstanding contributions from Hayley Evetts and
Nathan James. Thriller runs to Saturday night
(Oct 2) and will be at Birmingham Hippodrome from April 18-30. If you
are going, be prepared to be off your seats and on your feet dancing and
cheering. Paul Marston
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