Cast, Creative & Technical
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson is one of the most beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all time. His electrifying live performances and groundbreaking use of video and fashion continue to inspire today’s performers. To date, Michael has sold more than 1 billion records worldwide and is one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His album Thriller is the biggest-selling album of all time, and his Thriller short film is the only music video to be listed on National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized him as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time. New generations of fans continue to discover his artistry making him the #1 streaming catalog artist in the global marketplace. As a compassionate and prolific humanitarian, Michael set a new standard of generosity for other entertainers.
Lynn Nottage
Book
Lynn is the first woman in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Her plays have been produced widely in the United States and throughout the world. Recent work includes the libretto for the opera Intimate Apparel (Lincoln Center Theater), the book for the musical MJ (Broadway), Clyde’s (Broadway, 2ST), and The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida). Other credits include co-curating the performance installation The Watering Hole (Signature Theater); Mlima’s Tale; Sweat (Pulitzer Prize, Obie Award, Evening Standard Award, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize); By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Lilly Award); Ruined (Pulitzer Prize, Obie Award, Lucille Lortel Award, NY Drama Critics’ Circle Award, AUDELCO Award, Drama Desk and OCC awards) and Intimate Apparel (American Theatre Critics Award and NY Drama Critics’ Circle Award). TV: Writer/Producer of She’s Gotta Have It (Netflix) and Consulting Producer on Dickinson (Apple TV+). Awards: PEN/Laura Pels Master Dramatist Award, Doris Duke Artist Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship. Lynn is a Professor at Columbia University School of the Arts and a member of the Theater Hall of Fame and the Dramatists Guild.
Christopher Wheeldon
Director & Choreographer
Christopher trained at The Royal Ballet School, joined the New York City Ballet in 1993 and was named first Resident Choreographer. Christopher has created productions for The Royal Ballet and major ballet companies worldwide. He has choreographed for opera, film and television and is an Olivier Award winner for his ballets Aeternum and Polyphonia. In 2014, Mr. Wheeldon directed and choreographed the musical version of An American in Paris, which had productions in Paris, New York, and London and has toured extensively through America, China, Japan and Australia. Most recently he directed and choreographed MJ (Broadway, 2022). They each received four Tony Awards earning him two Tony Awards for Best Choreography. The latter is currently on Broadway, touring in America and mounting productions in Hamburg and Sydney. Christopher thanks his husband, Ross Rayburn, for his love, support, and quiet guidance during the making of MJ.
David Holcenberg
MUSIC SUPERVISION, ORCHESTRATIONS & ARRANGEMENTS
David has a Tony Award and Grammy Award nomination and is a Drama Desk Award winner for his work on MJ. On Broadway: Groundhog Day; Matilda The Musical; Rocky; Mamma Mia!; Ghost; Bye Bye Birdie; The Story of My Life; Good Vibrations; Seussical The Musical; Titanic and Showboat. Other credits include the world premiere of Newsies; the US premiere of Ragtime; Dessa Rose and The Glorious Ones at Lincoln Center Theater; The Radio City Summer Spectacular starring the Rockettes; Mamma Mia! at the Hollywood Bowl. Movie credits include Bohemian Rhapsody and the new independent film Burst the Silence. David has conducted and/or produced nine original cast albums including the Grammy nominated MJ, Matilda The Musical and Seussical The Musical.
Jason Michael Webb
Orchestrations & Arrangements
Special Tony Award recipient and Drama Desk Award winner. Music Director: Choir Boy (Manhattan Theatre Club; arranger); The Color Purple (Broadway revival). Arranger: Disney’s Aida (revival; music supervisor) and The Battle Hymn of the Republic (2013 Inauguration of President Barack Obama). Executive music producer: Respect (MGM; starring Jennifer Hudson). Director: The Last Five Years (2021 film). Composer: The Ms. Pat Show (BET+); Beebo Saves Christmas (CW); Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare in the Park); Light It Up! (Cleveland Playhouse) and WiLDFLOWER (National Black Theater/Apollo Theater).
Derek McLane
Scenic Design
Derek’s nearly 350 designs include – West End: Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Olivier nomination); Anything Goes; Beautiful – The Carole King Musical; I Am My Own Wife; Buried Child and The Spoils. Broadway credits include: Purlie Victorious; MJ (Tony Award nomination); Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Tony Award); A Soldier’s Play (Tony Award nomination); The Price; Beautiful – The Carole King Musical; Noises Off; Gigi; 33 Variations (Tony Award); China Doll; How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying; Follies; Anything Goes; Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; Ragtime; The Pajama Game and I Am My Own Wife. Off-Broadway: Buried Child; Love, Love, Love; Into the Woods and Ruined. Television includes 6 years of Academy Awards (Emmy Award); NBC Musicals: The Sound of Music; The Wiz and Hairspray (Emmy Award). Chairman of the Board of The New Group Theatre. Awards include multiple Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, Obie Awards, Drama Desk Awards, Lucille Lortel Awards, and Art Directors Guild Awards.
Natasha Katz
Lighting Design
Natasha has designed for theater, opera, dance, film, concerts and permanent lighting installations around the world. Recent West End credits: Mary Poppins (co-design with Hugh Vanstone); An American in Paris; School of Rock; The Glass Menagerie (Olivier Award nomination), Aladdin The Musical; Motown: The Musical; Skylight; Once and Sister Act. Her work at The Royal Ballet includes Like Water for Chocolate; A Winter’s Tale; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, all choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. Recent Broadway: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; MJ; Springsteen on Broadway; Frozen; the recent revival of Hello Dolly!; Long Day’s Journey Into Night; An American in Paris; Aladdin, Skylight; The Glass Menagerie and Once. Work with ballet and opera companies include: The Royal Ballet; American Ballet Theatre; New York City Ballet; San Francisco Ballet; Dutch National Ballet; National Ballet of Canada; The Metropolitan Opera and NY City Opera. She was recently inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.
Paul Tazewell
Costume Design
Paul designed the original Broadway productions of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Hamilton. In the UK, Paul designed Memphis; Hamilton; Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations and MJ in the West End, as well as Caroline, or Change for the National Theatre. Other Broadway credits include: MJ; Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations; Suffs; Summer: The Donna Summer Musical; In the Heights; The Color Purple; Memphis; Caroline, or Change; Elaine Stritch at Liberty and Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk. Broadway revivals include: Side Show; A Streetcar Named Desire; Jesus Christ Superstar; Guys and Dolls; A Raisin in the Sun and On the Town. In 2022 Paul received an Academy Award nomination for his costume design of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. In 2016 Paul received both a Tony Award, for Hamilton, and Emmy Award for The Wiz Live! on NBC. He also designed The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for HBO Films starring Oprah Winfrey.
Gareth Owen
Sound Design
Broadway highlights: Hell’s Kitchen; The Who’s Tommy; Back To The Future: The Musical; & Juliet (Tony Award nominated); MJ (Tony Award); Bad Cinderella; Diana: The Musical; Summer; Come From Away; A Bronx Tale: The Musical; Spring Awakening; End of the Rainbow (Tony Award nominated); Bat Out of Hell; Secret Garden and A Little Night Music (Tony Award nominated). West End highlights: Just For One Day; Back To The Future: The Musical (Olivier Award nominated); Cinderella; Prince Of Egypt; & Juliet; Come From Away (Olivier Award); Bat Out Of Hell (Olivier Award nominated); 42nd Street; Memphis (Olivier Award); I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical; In the Heights; La Cage Aux Folles; Elf The Musical; Top Hat the Musical (Olivier Award nominated) and Merrily We Roll Along (Olivier Award). International highlights: Starlight Express (Bochum, Germany); Disney’s Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Worldwide) and Little Mermaid (Worldwide). Honorary doctorate from Salford University. Husband to an awesome wife, father to three excellent kids.
Peter Nigrini
Projection Design
Peter Nigrini is one of Broadway’s pioneering Projection Designers. His work includes Here Lies Love; MJ; Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations; Beetlejuice The Musical; SpongeBob SquarePants;Dear Evan Hansen; A Doll’s House; Part 2 and Fela! The Musical. In other venues, Grounded (Public Theater); Hans Zimmer Live (European tour 2022); Lucia de Lammermoor and Don Giovani (Santa Fe Opera); Hurricane Tour (Grace Jones); Deep Blue Sea (Bill T. Jones/Park Avenue Armory) and Real Enemies (BAM). This spring on Broadway he is opening Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen; The Who’s Tommy; and Lempicka. In New York, he has been nominated for 3 Tony Awards, and won a Lucille Lortel Award, a Drama Desk Award, and an Obie Award.
RICH + TONE TALAUEGA
MICHAEL JACKSON MOVEMENT
Legendary choreographers Rich + Tone have worked with pop music’s biggest names including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Usher and many others, but working with MJ, first as dancers from the mid-90s to choreographing many of MJ’s projects through to today, has been the highlight of their career.
Charles LaPointe
Hair & Wig Design
Numerous Broadway, touring, regional, West End, International productions including Hamilton (Make-up Artists/Hair Stylist Guild Award); Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations; Beetlejuice The Musical; The Cher Show (Drama Desk Award) and SpongeBob SquarePants (Drama Desk Award). Television credits include The Wiz Live! and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
Joe Dulude II
MAKE-UP DESIGN
Broadway/West End: Wicked; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Broadway: KPOP; MJ; Beetlejuice The Musical; Torch Song Trilogy; SpongeBob SquarePants; Summer: The Donna Summer Musical; Sunday in the Park With George; Anastasia; Allegiance; If/Then and Follies. Off-Broadway: Fly; Sweet Charity; Into the Woods; The Wild Party and Show Boat. Television: Annie Live!; Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (Emmy Award nomination); The Gilded Age; Julia; Castle Rock Season 2. Film: The Holdovers; Hocus Pocus 2; Don’t Look Up; About Fate; Godmothered; The Discovery and Ghostbusters. www.joedulude2.com IG: @dulude2
Strange Cranium
Electronic Music Design
Billy Jay Stein is CEO and founder, Hiro Iida is head designer. Broadway Credits: Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (Grammy Award as Music Producer/Mixer); The Notebook The Musical; Days of Wine and Roses; Shucked; Parade; MJ; Kimberly Akimbo; 1776; Paradise Square; Caroline, or Change; Diana: The Musical; Tootsie; Mean Girls; The Band’s Visit; Fun Home; Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark; Hairspray; Amélie The Musical; Tuck Everlasting; The Rocky Horror Show and Jekyll & Hyde. Other credits: Death Note (Japan and London); Jon Batiste’s American Symphony (Carnegie Hall and Netflix) and The Rockettes NY Spectacular (Radio City Music Hall). www.strangecranium.com, www.strikeaudio.com
Dontee Kiehn
GLOBAL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Thrilled to be returning to the West End in partnership with Playful Productions and MJ. Select previous credits include: An American in Paris – Associate Director/Choreographer (Broadway, National Tour, London and Japan); The Addams Family – Associate Director/Choreographer (Broadway, National Tour, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico City); Diana: The Musical – Associate Director (Broadway); Next to Normal – Associate Choreographer (Broadway, National Tour, Kennedy Center, Japan and Korea); Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 – Director (Pittsburgh CLO); Brigadoon – Director (Pittsburgh CLO); Oklahoma – Director (Pittsburgh CLO); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – Directing Consultant (The Muny); The Winter’s Tale – Choreographer (NY Public Theater); A Doll’s House and Ten Cents a Dance – Choreographer (Williamstown Theater Festival) and 42nd Street – Choreographer (Casa Manana). Broadway performance credits: original revival cast of Gypsy (starring Bernadette Peters); 42nd Street and The Addams Family. Many thanks for our continued journey to friend and collaborator, Chris Wheeldon.
Michael Balderrama
GLOBAL ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER
Choreographer, director, producer, artist, philanthropist, Drama Desk Award and ACCA Award winner. Part of almost a dozen Broadway shows, both on stage and on the creative teams. Favourite Broadway credits: Global Supervising Choreographer for Hamilton; In the Heights; Movin’ Out; Willie Lopez in Ghost. Choreographed, performed, and/or worked with Michael Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Gloria Estefan, Mariah Carey, Andy Blankenbuehler, Christopher Wheeldon, Thomas Kail, Twyla Tharp, Julie Taymor, Lin-Manuel Miranda and more.
PIPPA AILION CDG & NATALIE GALLACHER CDG
UK CASTING
Pippa has cast over 200 productions internationally. Natalie has worked alongside Pippa for 18 years. Richard Johnson, Associate Casting Director for 3 years. Current West End: Frozen, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical; Book of Mormon and The Lion King. Casting includes: Sound of Music; Rock Follies; Tammy Faye; Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations; Get Up Stand Up! – The Bob Marley Musical; Come from Away; Mandela; Disney’s Beauty and The Beast; On Your Feet!; Dreamgirls; Funny Girl; Gypsy; Guys and Dolls; The Pajama Game; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Kiss Me; Kate; Love Story; Sunny Afternoon; Motown The Musical; Here Lies Love; Fela! The Musical; Spring Awakening; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical; Porgy and Bess; Memphis; Bend It Like Beckham; Legally Blonde; Wicked; Billy Elliot; We Will Rock You and Into The Woods. Film Dance Casting: Rocketman; Wonka and Disney’s Snow White. Future West End: Mean Girls and Hello Dolly!. UK Tours: Come From Away and Dear Evan Hansen.
Amy Beadel for Grindrod Burton Casting
UK Young Performers Casting
Lia Vollack
Producer
Lia Vollack produced the Olivier Award-winning and seven-time Tony Award-nominated musical Groundhog Day at the Old Vic and then on Broadway when she created Sony’s theatrical producing arm, Columbia Live Stage. Prior to that, she spent more than two decades as President of Worldwide Music at Sony Pictures, and created numerous multi-platinum soundtracks and scores with artists including Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Pearl Jam. She currently produces and develops original theatrical productions with her company Lia Vollack Productions, established in 2019. And has since produced MJ and Almost Famous on Broadway. She began her career as a recording engineer in the music industry and worked as a theatre sound designer before transitioning to the film industry.
Vollack currently sits on the Broadway League’s Board of Governors, Broadway League’s International Committee, American Theater Wing’s Advisory Council, and the Recording Academy’s Musical Theater Task Force.
John Branca
Producer
As head of the music department at Ziffren Brittenham LLC, John has been advancing the careers of recording artists for more than four decades. His clients have included more than thirty members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Michael Jackson, Branca’s client since 1980, hailed him as the “greatest lawyer of our times” for his innovative representation of artists’ interests. Branca is co-executor and co-manager of the Estate of Michael Jackson.
John McClain
Producer
As a music producer, musician and respected recording executive, John has for decades played a key role in the music industry by transforming young talent, hip hop artists, gospel choirs, record labels, producers, R&B and pop singers into international stars. He is co-executor and co-manager of the Estate of Michael Jackson.
Michael David
Producer
Founding partner and president of Dodger Properties (“the Dodgers”), a New York producing partnership of some 40+ years. Responsible for roughly 200 productions in New York, North America, London, Europe and Australasia, and blessed with a host of awards from Broadway’s Tony Awards (56), London’s Olivier Awards, Australia’s Helpman Awards and the like. On Broadway, lead producer of Jersey Boys; Matilda The Musical (with RSC); 42nd Street; Urinetown: The Musical; High Society; The Who’s Tommy; Into The Woods (original production 1987 and 2002); Titanic; Prelude to a Kiss; Groundhog Day (with Whistle Pig/Lia Vollack); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; The King and I; Ralph Fiennes’ Hamlet (with Almeida); Guys and Dolls; Jelly’s Last Jam; The Secret Garden; Footloose; The Music Man; Jesus Christ Superstar, Summer, The Gospel at Colonus, 1776, A Bronx Tale and Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, among others. Offices in Times Square and Covent Garden.
Nia Janis
UK Executive Producer
Nia Janis is a founding Director of Playful Productions. Her experience as a Producer and General Manager spans the West End, Broadway, collaborations with subsidised houses, UK and international touring. She is currently Executive Producer of Moulin Rouge! The Musical in the West End and forthcoming project Wild Rose. Work as a producer includes Groundhog Day and A Little Life, and a development slate of plays and new musicals. General management includes Wicked; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; and Come From Away. She has overseen dozens of productions including Kinky Boots, Shrek The Musical, American Buffalo and The Audience. Nia’s early career included producing on the fringe in London and Edinburgh, work at the RSC and at the Royal Court. She sits on the Society of London Theatre board and is a member of the Theatre Industry Wellbeing Committee, Safeguarding Working Group and SOLT & UK Theatre Inclusion & Anti-Racism Working Group.
Alexandra Sumner Hughes
UK Associate Director
Sean Green
UK MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Training: Birmingham University and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Supervisor and Arranger Credits – The Wiz! (Hope Mill Theatre); Aladdin (Newbury Corn Exchange). Musical Director Credits: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) (Kiln); Brokeback Mountain (Soho Place); Sylvia (Old Vic); Get Up Stand Up! – The Bob Marley Musical (Lyric); Turn Up! (Cadogan Hall streamed concert); Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK tour); Leave to Remain (Lyric Hammersmith); Jack and the Beanstalk (White Rock Theatre Hastings); Twelfth Night (Young Vic); Liver Birds Flying Home (Liverpool Royal Court); Sleeping Beauty (Chatham Central Theatre); The Wedding Singer (UK tour); One Love (Birmingham Rep); Murder Ballad (Arts); The Buskers Opera (Park Theatre); Into The Woods (Manchester Royal Exchange) and Soul Sister (Hackney Empire). Assistant MD and Keys Credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air); Rocky Horror Picture Show (European tour); Wicked (UK & International tours); Cabaret (UK tour) and Evita (UK & European tour).
XENA GUSTHART
UK ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER
MATT TOWELL
UK PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
West End: To Kill A Mockingbird; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Waitress; Come From Away; Strictly Ballroom; Ink; Knives in Hens; The Ferryman; Dreamgirls; The Go Between; Mr Foote’s Other Leg; The Vote; Beautiful – The Carole King Musical; Made in Dagenham; The Commitments; The Book of Mormon; Quartermaine’s Term; The Bodyguard; A Chorus of Disapproval; The Sunshine Boys; Master Class; Much Ado About Nothing; The Wizard of Oz (Palladium); Private Lives; Legally Blonde; La Bête; Priscilla Queen of the Desert; The Sound Of Music; Kiss Me, Kate; Bombay Dreams; Acorn Antiques; Smaller; Tonight’s the Night and Movin’ Out. Other theatre: Dynamo Live UK Tour; Monty Python Live at the o2 Arena; Troilus and Cressida, A Month in the Country, The Dispute and Tantalus for the RSC. Matt has production managed fourteen Number One UK tours and sixteen international productions around the world.
Playful Productions
UK General Management
Playful Productions is one of the most eminent independent theatre producers and full-service general management companies in the West End. As Producer and General Manager productions include: Dr. Strangelove (Noël Coward, October 2024); The Artist (Theatre Royal Plymouth, May 2024); Opening Night (as Producer – Gielgud); The Unfriend (Criterion, and Wyndham’s); The House of Bernarda Alba (as Producer – National Theatre); Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Sheffield, Lyric Hammersmith and Theatre Royal Haymarket); A Little Life (as Producer – Richmond, Harold Pinter and Savoy); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (UK & Ireland Tour); Good (Harold Pinter) and Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical (Lyric). As General Manager productions include: Wicked (Apollo Victoria, UK & Ireland Tours and International Tour); Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Piccadilly); Next To Normal (Wyndham’s, June 2024) and Come From Away (Abbey Theatre, Dublin and Phoenix). As Executive Producer productions include Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Piccadilly); MJ (Prince Edward) and Wild Rose (in development).
Company Management
Ant Field
Company Manager
Helen Spall
Deputy Company Manager
Stage Management
Dominique Pierre-Louis
Stage Manager
Ryan Quelch
Deputy Stage Manager
Louise Charity
Assistant Stage Manager
Chris Joannou
Assistant Stage Manager
Maisie Simon Padmore
Assistant Stage Manager
Sound
Andy Yiannaki
Head of Sound
Ollie Burridge
Deputy Head of Sound
Libbie Read
Sound #3
Jacob Friday
Sound #4
Lighting
James Perrin
Head of Electrics
Michael Clay
Deputy Head of Electrics
Nikki Radford
LX Technician
Ethan Howlett
LX Technician
Louisa Craig
LX Technician
Sandy Morgan
LX Show Crew
Richard Day
LX Show Crew
Jody Kelly
LX Show Crew
Stage
Simon Gant
Senior Head of Stage
Charlie Quirke
Deputy Head of Stage
Thea-Ellida Eike
Stage Technician
Ruth Steinman
Stage Technician
Dann Kharsa
Stage Show Crew
Anika Knittel
Stage Show Crew
Matt Wells
Stage Show Crew
Automation
Jack Wigley
Head of Automation
Tom Salmon
Deputy Head of Automation
Hayden Gurney
Automation #3
Wardrobe
Rose Connelly
Head of Wardrobe
Lucy Edgeworth
Deputy Head of Wardrobe
Tara Boland
Wardrobe Assistant
Katherine Rogers
Wardrobe Assistant
Hope Vivins
Wardrobe Assistant
Agata Carmen Buscemi
Dresser
Susan Grange-Bennett
Dresser
Jasmine Jackopson
Dresser
Emily Jeal
Dresser
Nico Leather
Dresser
Lily Ling
Dresser
Nastacia Roosevelt
Dresser
Sanah Sacranie
Dresser
Amy Lavery
DRESSER
Wigs
Sarah Crawford
Co-Head of Wigs, Hair & Make-Up
Helen Davies
Co-Head of Wigs, Hair & Make-Up
Sophie Bolton
CO-HEAD OF WIGS, HAIR & MAKE-UP (MATERNITY COVER)
Alexa Day
Deputy Head of Wigs, Hair & Make-Up
Rochelle Porter-Flynn
Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Assistant (Part-Time)
Marianne Simpkins
Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Assistant
Katie Steel
Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Assistant
Chaperones
Zak Maguire
Head Chaperone
Rosemary Amoani
Deputy Head Chaperone
Kim Allen
Chaperone
Laura Hall
House Chaperone