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Why MJ is closing... and what's next? | Broadway hit ending its West End run with new shows coming
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Mickey Jo Theatre
One of Michael's many, many hit songs tells us repeatedly, don't stop till you get enough. Unfortunately, it seems as though that is perhaps what West End audiences have done. Oh my God. Hey, welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel. Or hello to you if you're listening to this on podcast platforms. My name is Mickey Jo and I am obsessed with all things theatre. I am a professional theatre critic as well as a content creator here on social media and today we are going to be discussing the recent theatrical news here in the West End that MJ the Musical, which transferred from Broadway where it continues to run at the Neil Simon Theatre, will in the beginning of 2026 be concluding performances at at the Prince Edward Theatre. Having run for just under two years, we're going to discuss the full details of the closure and what will have been achieved in that time as well as why it might be that the production is concluding its run in the West End while it continues to run successfully on Broadway and will have run for already a much longer amount of time. Why is one succeeding far more than the other? And since my audience here is largely divided between the UK and the us, it's going to be interesting once more to have the conversation about differing theatrical tastes in London versus on Broadway. And finally beyond all of that. With the Prince Edward being one of my favorite theaters in the West End, we are going to inevitably have the conversation about which show might be heading into that theater next. And given the size of the venue, it is pretty much guaranteed to be a large scale musical. Embrace yourselves because I have been hearing not one but two rumors about Broadway fan favorite musicals that may finally be making their way to the West End. You have waited long, long, long indeed to hear these words, and if you stay tuned until the end of this particular conversation, then you just might hear them. Maybe I'll say them three times in a row. But before I do, I want to offer my thoughts and sympathies to the company of MJ the Musical as well as all of the crew, everyone working both in and beyond the Prince Edward Theatre on this show. Any show. Closure is always a very sad occasion. They are not something that we celebrate. I know that this is also going to be devastating news for a great many die hard fans of this show, but it's also a reality of the theatrical ecosystem. So let's get into it then. Why do we think MJ is closing at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End? If you want to share your own thoughts about the show and possible insights into why it's closing next year, feel free to share those in the comments section down below. And if you want to stay up to date with all of the West End and Broadway theater news and my perspective on it, make sure that you're following me on podcast platforms or subscribed right here on YouTube. Let's talk about MJ Closing in London Okie dokie. Let's take a look at this press release because that's gonna have the full details. MJ the Musical UK and International Tour Announced as Award Winning Musical Confirms Final London Extension we're gonna circle back to that because actually that's not the truth, Ellen, but we'll get into it. This news was broken Friday 25th July 2025, the hit West End production of the internationally acclaimed musical mj, which to my knowledge is playing at the moment in the west end on Broadway and also in Hamburg, Germany. And it's as well I don't know if that's currently running. We'll make a final extension interesting to its run at the Prince Edward Theatre in London with performances booking through until Saturday 28th February 2026. Now, I have the utmost respect for everyone working in theatre PR and there is this newfound phenomenon that we're seeing more and more recently where every show closure, particularly if it's a show that is still running in other parts of the world, in order to preserve the integrity of the brand, tries to frame the closure, the end of a run in a positive light. It's why you will so often hear about a tour being launched at the same time as a western production is closing. Clueless just did this. Although they didn't officially announce the tour and they barely officially announced the closing, for what it's worth. But Mean Girls did this a few months prior when they announced their West End closure at the Savoy and now MJ has done the same thing. However, in the name of putting a positive spin on all of these things, sometimes the PR of it all is just a little bit misleading, dare I say, say an untruth. Because they send out multiple press releases when a show opens, but also when a show extends. And a little while ago this one was distributed. This was in fact back on the 25th of March, three time Olivier Award nominated production announces new cast and extends to March 2026. So back in March of this year, many months ago now, MJ extended to March 2026, so they are in no position, if we're being completely honest, to announce a final extension of that is in fact less than the booking period they were already selling. I kind of heard a rumor on the wind that MJ might be announcing closing soon and so I checked to see which dates were on sale. Just a couple of days ago, perhaps even yesterday, and they were still selling tickets through the end of March. So the fact that it's now closing at the end of February is many things and it's not a huge failure really, but it's also not an extension. It is also interesting timing. I assume that it coincides with the end of the contract for everyone who was brought in for the second year of the show. If I read further through this closing press release, it will give us more information about when it started performances in the uk perhaps. Or maybe it won't. Oh, here it is. Okay. Performances began Wednesday 6th March 2024, so it will have essentially played for two years. What this means though, is whatever replaces MJ at the Prince Edward is going to open after the cutoff for the current Olivier Awards season and won't be eligible for the 2026 Oliviers. They will be eligible in 2027. We have seen this happen before. They tend to pay less attention to this, honestly, or just care less about it in the West End than they do on Broadway. On Broadway in spring you will see dozens of productions opening very close together and all just before the Tony Awards eligibility cutoff date. Here in London you may see shows opening the day after the Olivier's cut off. We had that this year with major productions of Richard II starring Jonathan Bailey, of Much Ado About Nothing with Tom Hidd, Hayley Atwell, all opening in the immediate days following the Olivier's cut off. The musical Waitress did this a few years ago, sort of to their detriment when it came to the awards. But also, how were they to know that 2020 was going to be a very complicated year? Anyway, back to MJ so closing in the West End at the end of February next year, which gives everyone a decent amount of time between now and then to see it. If you were planning to but hadn't gotten around to it yet, or if you're a huge fan of the show who wants to go back multiple times before it closes or just want to revisit it once more, you have the opportun between now and the end of February. Don't say I didn't warn you that's from a musical as well. I wonder which one. Accidental foreshadowing at the same time. And here comes the positive press to mitigate the fact that it's closing in London. The musical also announces today the first ever international Asian tour of the global sensation. Set to launch in October 2026 and traveling to major cities around the world for an initial two year period. An initial two year period. Both UK and international Asian tour details will be revealed in in the coming months. I skipped ahead. I missed the UK tour part. Here is the UK tour information for those of you who want to know. So the musical is following its two year London run by embarking on a major UK tour in 2027. So that's going to come later, bringing the electrifying production to audiences across the country. And I would urge you, if you're any fan of fantastic choreography, to go and check out this production. It won the Olivier Award for Best Choreography. Christopher Wheeldon did for his choreography as well as the show being nominated for Best New Musical and rightfully so because the dance in it is really fantastic, skillfully executed and also the insights into how the choreography was built by Michael Jackson and his creative collaborators and takes a look at all of his influences. That's always been my favorite thing about this musical. So what else do we have here in terms of details? London run ending UK Tour 2027 International Asian Tour 2026 which is of no sur because of the international popularity of Michael Jackson and his music. Now these tours mark further milestones in the continued global success of MJ, which has been experienced by more than 5 million people through its acclaimed productions on Broadway in London's West End, Hamburg, Sydney, There you go. And of course, the US National Tour and later this year, Melbourne. There you go. Australians, There you go. Featuring over 25 of Michael Jackson's most iconic hits, the production has been praised for its innovative storytelling, high octane performances. At this point I'm just, I'm just, I'm just regurgitating the press for them. And we have information following about the current cast in the West End as well as the creatives, but those are the details as we know them to be. So as promised, let's explore a little bit some of the reasons as to why MJ might be closing in the West End or what might be the reasons. It's, it's definitely is.
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Mickey Jo Theatre
Closing now. Without being callous, this is another one that isn't a total surprise, purely because we were seeing more and more discounts popping up for this show. And I'll remind you, grosses are not made publicly available here in the uk. So we don't have nearly as much insight into how well a show is doing financially, how well attended it is. And one of the few clues that we have to rely on if we want to try and figure that out is the extent to which a show is discounting. And we were seeing, seeing MJ for the last few months doing this more and more. And that in and of itself is not a massive surprise. Because even though Michael Jackson is hugely popular, even though this show continues to be successful on Broadway in the US around the world, as we've just heard, the theatre where it is playing in London, the Prince Edward Theatre, is vast. It is huge. It is one of our largest spaces and it has been a challenge for many previous shows to fill this space and enjoy extended runs. Over the last few years, the most successful tenants of the Prince Edward have been Disney shows that have broad family appeal. And though mj, by the time that it closes, will have managed what I consider to be an entirely respectable two year run, it will not be the only jukebox musical to have played the Prince Edward and then closed in the last couple of years because Ain't Too Proud also transferred over from Broadway. That's the jukebox bio musical about the Temptations and that one definitely fell short of West End expect. And before I talk a little bit more about why that might be and how jukebox musicals are doing in the West End, let me clarify just how big the Prince Edward Theatre actually is and what the capacity of this venue is. Yep, 1727 is the number of seats of the Prince Edward Theatre. How big is the Neil Simon on Broadway where MJ is playing? Is it more or less than 1700? Do I hear higher? Do I hear lower? You're going to have to shout louder. 14:45, so about 300, just under 300. Fewer seats for the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway, which isn't the biggest difference in the world, but 1700 is a very intimidating number. And you know the Palladium, the London Palladium no longer has extended open ended runs. They have shows over the summer like Evita currently is. They have other pieces of programming. They have the Palladium Pantomime every year they have concerts. But the other intimidatingly large venues that I tend to worry about in the West End if they don't have these huge hit shows are the Dominion Theatre and Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Those along with the Prince Edward are these massive barns that can be very challenging to fill. So mj I think on balance has done really well to manage a two year run. Especially when, as I was about to mention before, jukebox musicals seem to be declining in the uk, particularly jukebox bio musicals in a way that we're not necessarily seeing over on Broadway. Now I've mentioned this a couple of times before and this is only really contributing to my thesis because yes, decent run, two year run, but also Michael Jackson is huge and has such enduring fan appeal. Still, people love the music of Michael Jackson and that's a really, really big draw as far as West End entertainment goes. And so the fact that it only ran two years I think is another indicator that audiences are perhaps no longer as interested as they used to be in the jukebox bio musical. It's not the only one in town at the moment, because also technically, just for one day, the Live Aid musical is using the songs of the iconic Live Aid concert to tell its story. So it is a jukebox bio musical of sorts, even though it is not just about one band or one artist. Tina the Tina Turner musical, after a very decent, very respectable multi year run in the West End, is also set to close this year. And over the past few years it is worth pointing out that we have seen the early closure of many other jukebox bio musicals like the Drifter's Girl, like Ain't Too Proud, which I previously mentioned at the Prince Edward. And in spite of the fact that these for around a decade used to be really hot tickets, I do increasingly think that as a sub genre they're just not as popular as they once were. You're welcome to disagree with me about that one in the comments, but every jukebox musical is kind of just proving my point. More and more in the West End I tend to think, and I say in the West End because MJ is still playing on Broadway. I do also think, think inevitably, even though we can acknowledge the huge international appeal of Michael Jackson, his legacy as an artist has shifted in the face of allegations, in the face of documentaries, which I know people have strong feelings about. And ever since I made my review of MJ the Musical, which needless to say, if you want to know what I think of the show, you can go and listen to that. Ever since I observed the existence of these allegations and that some people may feel a certain amount of of discomfort as a result of them and the things that have been said and the documentaries that have been made, I have been getting comments weekly lambasting me for acknowledging their existence. And you know, far be it from me to say what the truth of this situation was What I will say is that objectively, for many people, the legacy of Michael Jackson as an artist, as an individual has shifted. And there may be a swathe of people who previously would have loved to go see an MJ the Musical, who now, in the face of all of this over the last few years, may no longer feel quite as comfortable doing so. And you have to imagine that that has cut into the show's audience somewhat, though it doesn't seem to be harming it on Broadway. Is there a difference in sensibility? Is the jukebox musical enduringly more popular on Broadway? Is Michael Jackson just slightly more popular in New York than he is in London? These are the questions that I am wondering. Is the Broadway market more driven by international tourists who are attracted to a show where they're going to have a strong familiarity with the music? Is this kind of glitzy, dance heavy show something which is inherently more popular in New York than it is in London? Chicago, of course, continues to be a successful, long running New York show. It didn't last as long over here in London, despite a very extended run. Meanwhile, we still have Phantom and Les Misk, and New York don't. Is that in a way emblematic of some of the key differences in audience demographics in each of these places? In a very broad sense, I tend to think that it could be. And there is one more difference as well, because audiences are to a certain extent finite and there are a lot of people who might go back again and again and again to go and see shows. There are a lot of people, it's worth pointing out, in financially trying times amidst, you know, the end of the world in so many ways, who can't afford to go back again and again and again to the same show or even to multiple shows. For a lot of people, going to see a show in the West End or on Broadway is a huge occasion and a privilege and a treat that they cannot afford many times. And I say this because while Broadway had to wait a long time for a Michael Jackson musical, there was for many years a show in the West End offering a similar sort of an experience, offering the iconography, the visuals and of course, the choreography and music of Michael Jackson on Shaftesbury Avenue at the Lyric Theatre. This was Thriller Live. This ran, I believe, for more than a decade. But let me get you the exact facts. And the reason I point this out is because I wonder if this, which was in the West End but was not on Broadway, undercut the potential audience for an MJ musical by the time that it arrived at a significantly larger venue and probably charging a higher ticket price than Thriller Live ever did. Yeah, so Thriller live closed on March 15, 2020 after an 11 year run. That may make it sound like Covid ended the show, and it technically did, but it was scheduled to close on April 28, 2020 regardless. And it is fascinating looking at the geography of this show. It was produced in 2007 in the United Kingdom, subsequently seen in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, in Europe, in China, South Africa, in Singapore, Japan, Egypt, Israel, Macau, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, but at no point, according to Wikipedia, in the United States. And so if anyone is out there feeling perplexed as to why MJ is closing in the West End when it continues to do well on Broadway, I actually think that this is the biggest reason as to why for such a long time in London there was a Michael Jackson show and a lot of people traveled to go and see it and enjoy it. And those same people may have gone to see MJ the Musical as well when that one opened, but others may have felt like they didn't necessarily need to. Needless to say, certain shows only have so much appeal. And if you know another comedy show about Mormonism was to open in the West End, I dare say they might struggle. But that, I think is more than enough conjecture about the reasons why MJ is closing in the West End. Also worth pointing out that it is a fairly sizable cast, and in terms of the set and everything, I dare say that it's also a sizable crew working on the production. This doesn't look like a particularly cheap show to run, and if you have any other thoughts that I haven't yet articulated about why MJ is closing, feel free to share them in the comments. In the meantime, let us glance towards the future of the Prince Edward Theatre.
- [21:26]
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- [22:50]
Mickey Jo Theatre
And so, with the utmost respect to the company and crew of MJ the Musical, inevitably in the next year, because these western theaters never sit dark for very long, there is going to be a new show at the Prince Edward, most likely a big musical. And yes, not too long ago, dear England, a play was playing at this theatre. But for the majority of its history it has been musicals, and big ones at that. Because it's a big stage, it's a big space, it's a really big auditorium. It needs to have broad appeal, which is why it may be very advantageous for the producers of this particular show that it has been requested by West End fans for some years now. Every single time I have made a video and sat down in this chair. In fact, I think it predates this chair and this flat and this room. There has been one show that y' all have been bringing to the comments section and willing me to talk about and willing me to say is coming to the West End or is at the very least rumored for the West End. And I can now tell you that while it has not yet been officially announced and there is no fire as such, there is considerable smoke that we may finally be seeing. Wait for it. Beetlejuice. Yes, after waiting years, it may in fact be finally happening. Why else did you think I had the snake over there? Allegedly, Beetlejuice may be eyeing up the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End. I say allegedly and may because I have substantial reason to believe that Beetlejuice is definitely coming. I have no official confirmation that it's going to the Prince Edward, but in terms of timings, in terms of venues becoming available, this seems like the most obvious fit. Now what's interesting is that it's not necessarily going to be for an open ended run because there may be another Broadway musical, very similar in fact, to be Beetlejuice and almost just as beloved on social media, that may also be coming to the Prince Edward in 2027. Meaning that perhaps Beetlejuice is going to be scheduled for around a year at the venue before this next show comes in. And then Beetlejuice, just like MJ before it, will go on to tour around the uk. This wouldn't be the first time this had happened at the Prince Edward that the venue had been programmed this way, because when Ain't Too Proud was announced, MJ was always on the horizon. So their plan was to play for a year. In fact, they fell a little bit short of that and that's why Dear came in. But that might be happening again with Beetlejuice and the show to follow afterwards, which, and I once again have no official reason to believe that this is attached to the Prince Edward could very well be Death Becomes Her. There are a couple of Broadway shows that I believe are planning to travel across the Atlantic. Not all of them. I have not heard positive proof of the Outsiders yet, just chatter. I have not heard positive proof of maybe happy ending. But what I can tell you at this time is I am significantly more inclined to believe that a Death Becomes her transfer is in fact in the works. And how friggin exciting would this be for the Prince Edward Theatre over the next couple of years to be offering us Beetlejuice and then Death Becomes her. I mean, my gosh, first of all, such a fantastic facade for both of those shows. Second of all, it is next to one of the biggest gay bars in London. So you know, that couldn't be more appropriate. And each of those shows, I feel initiate some really exciting conversations around potential casting. We might have some Broadway stars coming over with them, particularly maybe Alex Brightman doing Beetlejuice. He has signaled before that he would like to do it again if he had the opportunity to do it in London. I think he has said that publicly with Death Becomes Her. I dare say we would get some West End leading ladies and you know, why shouldn't we? And before you get yourselves all excited and go and smash your piggy banks full of pocket money on the floor to go and buy tickets, I will remind you neither of these things are at this particular moment confirmed for Beetlejuice. There is a very real possibility we will not have to wait that long. But I've said that before and then had to wait a really long time. This is all just speculation from me, but all of that smoke that I mentioned, without which of course there is no fire, is starting to look thicker and closer, which sounds sort of horrifying, but in this instance it's actually very exciting. For now, I believe that is everything I can tell you about the current and potentially future tenants of the Prince Edward Theatre. Arguably, it's a little more than I should have told you, but perhaps the powers that be haven't made it all the way to the end of this video. This can just be our little secret, you and I, tiny people in my camera and I hope it's made you excited. I'm very excited and I hope you enjoyed listening to my thoughts on all of this, on the closure of MJ and the potential incoming Broadway transfers. If you did enjoy, make sure to like subscribe all of those usual things. Comment down below with your thoughts about all of this, how excited you are about these future shows, your thoughts about mj and as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day. For 10 more seconds, I'm Mickey Jo Theatre. Oh my go. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day.
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Mickey Jo Theatre
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Mickey Jo Theatre
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