Powerful, moving tribute to Michael Jackson by one of the greatest stage performers I have seen in South Africa in a long time. (Review by John Harley)
The Michael
Jackson HIStory II programme (very impressive) notes state that the ultimate
praise would be to have the audience say they actually believed that they were
at a Michael Jackson concert, and that they were watching the real thing! Well,
not quite, but as close as dammit!
Under musical director Richard Baker, this
was without a doubt a most powerful, dynamic, energetic, vibrant and moving
tribute to arguably the greatest musical entertainer of our time - the one and
only Michael Jackson! The production was slick, creative and loaded with Vegas
glitz and MJ pizzazz from beginning to end; hence the standing ovation from a near-capacity
crowd was inevitable.
The star of the show is, of course, Kenny
Wizz and by his standards, all else became superfluous. He indeed captures the
very essence of the MJ we all grew to love, admire and adore~ and then some!
All MJ's major hits are served up to the
audience on a platter of stunning lighting effects; a brilliant ensemble of
highly talented musicians from all over the world; some exciting dance routines
and topped off with a master in his craft, Kenny Wizz, undoubtedly one of the
greatest stage performers I have seen in South Africa in a long time. He
captured his audience with a great sense of suave and utmost panache!
I did have minor issues relating
particularly to the balance of the sound - as is most often the case in shows
of this nature. Volume takes precedence over audibility, sacrificing moments
that need a light touch with soft contrasts in order to capture the true quality
of the moment. A good example was when tribute was made to the passing of
Michael Jackson by means of a single spotlight in the centre of the stage
containing only a high stool with a few of MJ's props and Kenny Wizz moving
slowly around the chair singing a moving ballade, reflecting the "too soon"
death of the pop star (a brilliant image).
This particular moment demanded a fragile, gentle
hand; yet the beautiful and moving lyrics were totally overwhelmed by the band ...
and the moment was lost. Great pity! This was a general tendency throughout the
production and needs a re-look.
It would therefore not come as a surprise
to the readers that the absolute highlight of the entire show came to me during
a solo dance sequence, gently accompanied by drums, when Kenny Wizz displayed
break dance skills that were quite insane! Such simplicity, control, technique,
talent and artistry - my dessert was pure perfection!
It certainly was wonderful to be part of
musical theatre at such a professional, slick, international level. It is a
production you must see; in this genre of musical entertainment, it's as good
as you'll probably ever get in South Africa.
Michael
Jackson HIStory II runs at the iZulu Theatre, Sibaya
Casino and Entertainment Kingdom, until January 6. Tickets R250 (R160 children
under 16) booked through Computicket: 0861 915 8000 as well as from the Sibaya
Box Office. Performances daily at 20h00 from Thursday to Saturday and 15h00 on
Sunday.
There will also be a single performance at
the Tropical Nites Theatre at the Wild Coast Sun on December 26 at 20h00.- John Harley
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