Review: Michael Jackson, This is It, and the Power of Music

Last night I decided to ditch the madness of Halloween parties and instead go and see Michael Jackson’s This is It.  So I decided write a blog post about it.

When I was a kid the first tape that my dad ever gave me was Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. His music is my first recollection of listening to any kind of music on a consistent basis. In fact, I took my Sony Walkman, popped in the Thriller tape, and listened to it so many times that it stopped working.  So, I knew that there was absolutely no way in hell I was going to miss seeing this in the theater.

It’s hard to say anything about Michael Jackson that hasn’t already been said.  The fact that his music has remained in the hearts and minds of people through four generations is absolutely incredible.

In This is It, we get a detailed look into Michael Jackson, the performer, with absolutely zero attention on his personal life. When Michael steps on stage, he transforms from somebody who’s personal life has been a complete mess to, a person larger than life with a presence so commanding that just the opportunity to work with him brings tears into the eyes of those lucky enough to be part of the experience.

Given the selection of songs that was intended for this tour, it seems highly likely that this was really going to be it. If there’s a song by Michael Jackson that you loved, he’s incorporated it into the performance. Another thing that was absolutely amazing to see was his attention to detail. From the musicians to the dancers, Michael is extremely hands on about every single thing in his show.

Despite his larger than life, commanding presence, even when Michael critiques the crew, he always tells them “It’s with love.” One of the guitarists even mentions how humble Michael is, given his reputation. The lead guitarist is absolutely bad ass, and watching her on stage is a real treat.

The visual effects that would have been incorporated into the tour are nothing short of mind blowing. With all of the advances in technology that have been made since Michael’s last tour, it’s obvious he had plans to take advantage of it. With new video sequences for Thriller, Smooth Criminal, and They Don’t Really Care About us, it’s clear that Michael was intent on creating sensory overload that could send chills up and down your spine.
I particularly loved a certain scene when Kenny Ortega tells the pyrotechnics guys “Can we do that, but 10 times what we just did?” This was after a fairly elaborate display of fireworks and more.

When you come to realize that this was just a recording of his rehearsals, and that minimal audience he is performing is awe-struck at every moment, it makes you wonder just how spectacular he would have been at the actual performance.

I don’t believe much in regret. But one regret I’ll have in life is that I never got to see Michael Jackson perform live. It seems that he’s left a pair of shoes that would be impossible for absolutely any performer to fill.

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