Michael Jackson: Thriller Live coming to China
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One year to the day after his death, fans can once again enjoy the magic of Michael Jackson's music at Thriller Live.
"This is it. See you in July!"
This was Michael Jackson's last words to his fans at at the O2 Arena in London in March 2009. But the King of Pop would never fulfill that promise as he died on June 25 last year.
But this July, Jackson's fans in China will have an opportunity to enjoy Jackson's music in Beijing and Guangzhou at Thriller Live, a spectacular made-in-London show.
It includes more than two hours of non-stop hits songs delivered by an exceptional cast and live band and features eye-popping multi-media effects and dazzling choreography by award-winning director Gary Lloyd. There is a narrative thread to the first half, beginning with Jackson's early years as a teen sensation to his breakthrough solo album Off the Wall and beyond.
"Thriller Live is the ultimate celebration of Michael Jackson's music. We don't tell the story of Michael's life, but we celebrate the King of Pop via two hours of song and dance," says Adrian Grant, creator and co-producer of the show.
Grant's association with Michael Jackson spanned more than 21 years. In 1988, he launched the world's first Michael Jackson fanzine, Off the Wall. Within two years it had a circulation of 25,000 and was read in over 47 countries around the world.
In 1991, Grant produced the annual Michael Jackson Tribute Show and Jackson personally attended the Tenth Annual Michael Jackson Tribute in 2001 and described the show as "beautiful and incredible!"
"Michael was a big fan of the annual tribute. He used to send his own video crew to film the shows, as well as donated signed prizes for the raffle, and recorded personal video messages for the fans," Grant says via e-mail interview.
In March 1990, Jackson invited Grant to Neverland and he became the first ever person to write a feature story about Jackson's wonderful retreat.
He was also privileged to have had great access to Jackson's world over the years, including during the recording of the Dangerous, History albums and world tours. In 1994 Grant wrote the best-selling Jackson chronology - The Visual Documentary, which Jackson approved and even helped with some of its content. He also had a copy in his piano room at Neverland.
In 2006, Grant developed the annual Michael Jackson Tribute show into Thriller Live. Later that year, the Thriller Live cast performed before Michael Jackson and a TV audience of almost one billion at the World Music Awards, celebrating the record-breaking album Thriller and Jackson receiving the Diamond Award.
"It was a real honor, and a privilege for the dancers to be on stage paying tribute to someone who had inspired them so greatly," recalls Grant.
Unfortunately, Jackson could not make it to watch Thriller Live personally.
"For two nights I couldn't sleep and did not believe that Michael was gone. I was very fortunate to have know him personally over a 21-year period and he was always very kind and open toward me. He was a smart and funny guy, not at all like how the press portrayed him. I have nothing but great memories. Obviously with the show I'm surrounded by his music constantly, and I feel he is still with his fans in spirit, but I will miss what more there could have been," Grant says.
Thriller Live continues to run at the Lyric Theater, London, drawing Jackson's fans from across the world including Gao Xiaosong, the famous Chinese songwriter.
After Jackson died, Gao thought of holding a memorial concert in Beijing but realized "no Chinese singer can sing and dance like Michael Jackson".
"Jackson is the world's greatest entertainer. We cannot replicate his performance. He is the superstar that many people can follow but nobody can copy him," says Gao.
Gao chanced upon Thriller Live on the Internet and was so impressed that he invited his fiend, also a big fan of Jackson, Zhang Zhengwei, boss of the Universal Arts Media Group, to go watch the show in London together.
This is what finally led to Thriller Live's China tour this summer.
"It's great to see people of all ages - from as young as 5 to 70 - getting out of their seats and dancing and singing to his songs. China has 100,000 fans of Jackson and I just hope what we do can help Chinese fans realize their dream of seeing him in July," says Zhang.
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