Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️️
Tribute shows are a great idea for many reasons. As well as being far more affordable than if you were to see the actual artist, they cover vast areas of the UK not usually visited by them (I have no idea why Beyoncé doesn’t perform in Torquay as part of her tour). For the artists that are sadly no longer with us, they are a great way to continue their legacy so audiences can enjoy their songs and performances decades after their passing, such is the case with this Michael Jackson tribute show, Man In The Mirror. Though it isn’t the actual concert, that doesn’t mean the quality should be poor though and I have seen many a tribute show over the years that has been a real testament to this. Sadly, that wasn’t the case this time around.
Man In The Mirror – A Tribute To Michael Jackson intends to do exactly that, celebrating the career and timeless songs of the King of Pop. Perhaps it is just that those are some impossibly big shoes to fill, though the performances in MJ The Musical prove it can be done in a befitting way, but for one reason or another, it doesn’t quite work in this show – at least it didn’t in the performance I went to, at the newly reopened Golders Green Hippodrome, a venue rich in history though oddly soulless on this night.
The show is led by CJ, who has been playing Michael Jackson in tribute shows across the UK and Europe for 15 years now. It takes a mere moment for him to walk on to the stage to appreciate how close his singing voice is to Michael’s, impressing with his impersonation. However, his voice doesn’t quite hold out in other moments, struggling to hit the higher register Michael was known for and resulting in an entire song being mimed, rather disappointingly.
The voice was the best part of the Michael impersonation, as the moves were sadly lacking. Though CJ recreated some of the most famous and iconic steps, it all felt rather rigid and lacked the flair you’d see not only through Michael’s performances, but in many a tribute I have seen over the years. It felt as if there was a real disconnect between the actual moves and how to get there in performances that were wooden and stiff throughout. ‘Billie Jean’ seriously underwhelmed despite CJ’s attempts, while the now legendary dance routine in ‘Thriller’ was nowhere near good enough to be performed in front of a paying audience. I’d dare say you would see a better version of this at any club in the UK on Halloween. Backed by a group of four dancers, they also lacked in quality resulting in some of the clumsiest dancing I have ever seen on a stage. I would also question how necessary or even appropriate it was for the dancers to be wearing Jackson 5 wigs but I won't explore that problematic choice further.
Though Michael Jackson’s catalogue is bursting with hits, there seemed to be little thought given to the setlist here, particularly the order of songs. Taking notes from Michael’s own setlists, opening with ‘Jam’, it didn’t flow cohesively, stopping itself in its tracks just as it was starting to build momentum. An overlong Jackson Five section and lesser-known numbers in place of some of the absent bigger hits proved a baffling decision in a show that never quite managed to retain audience interest. I don’t think I have ever seen a less responsive audience – the fact nobody got on their feet once throughout the show spoke volumes for how lackluster the show was.
A big part of that is down to a severe lack of stage presence. While I’m sure CJ is an accomplished performer in his own right, something didn’t quite work on this occasion, resulting in a performance that felt lifeless throughout, failing to connect with the audience at any time. If you are to take on the persona of Michael Jackson on stage, you need to ooze confidence and style – unfortunately, this was noticeably absent on this performance, with CJ walking around the stage unnaturally as opposed to the way Michael would effortlessly glide across. The only thing lower than the atmosphere during the performance was the energy of the performance itself. It was the kind of thing you would expect to see on holiday abroad after 10 drinks... though perhaps you wouldn’t notice the inadequacies of the performance at that point.
Though the production company are responsible for many tribute shows, the quality of this one was uneven at best. Though video projections had decent moments, particularly in 'Thriller', others resembled something you'd see on a particularly shambolic task on The Apprentice. Meanwhile, there was lighting that didn’t seem to know what it was doing, turning the house lights on while audience members were encouraged to wave their phone lights, rendering the effect pointless.
You can chalk that up to errors on the night alone but the same cannot be said for the costumes. Looking cheaper than you would find in a party shop, and of a quality so low, even Shein would refuse to sell them. I take no joy at being so negative though I have to be honest and you really can’t take on the King Of Pop while being wrapped in a piece of ill-fitting foil. Seemingly that was deemed acceptable for Man In The Mirror. You don't need a big budget to be able to deliver a strong Michael Jackson tribute but this failed in every way.
CJ talked about keeping Michael Jackson’s legacy alive, and that is why tribute shows like this are so necessary. Watching children in the audience who were born after Michael had passed away was a stark reminder of how shows like this can do just that. However, to keep a legacy alive, you need to give a performance befitting of that legacy, and nothing about this performance managed to do that, as sad as that is.
This review may come across as unfair, and I understand that the quality of tribute shows are not going to be the same as many of the other shows I am used to reviewing. However, quality is the key word here, and there is a bare minimum you expect on seeing any show, regardless of what it is. If you are charging people to see your show, you need to give them something that makes the price of the ticket seem worth it. Man In The Mirror fails at this in every possible way. Poor production and performances that would result in buzzes on Britain’s Got Talent, this show wasn’t so much of a Thriller as it was Bad, and after a long night of disappointing performances, I couldn’t wait to beat it.
Man In The Mirror – A Tribute To Michael Jackson is touring the UK, now booking into 2026. Dates and tickets at www.entertainers.co.uk