Review: Man in the Mirror, Churchill Theatre Bromley
A smooth (not criminal) and slick evening with iconic moves and songs.Summary
Rating
Good
‘Who is it?’ Well, it is CJ Harrison as Michael Jackson, and in Man in the Mirror he takes us through two dozen of MJ’s hits. CJ has been professionally imitating Jackson for over 15 years, so it is no surprise that he has the classic moves down, from the moonwalk to the anti-gravity lean. He also excels at the wailing and hiccups and other vocal characteristics that made Jackson so distinctive. In those moments he nails it perfectly. In others, it’s hard to get beyond watching a talented tribute act. This is as close as we can get now, perhaps. Jackson made it all look so effortless, but we can see CJ working day and night to get as close as he can. It must be a difficult job to impersonate the legendary King of Pop.
After some very slight sound issues at the beginning, the rest of the evening goes without a hitch, covering a wide range of Jackson’s HIStory. There are many big hits to pick from, along with a medley of The Jackson Five and a quick selection of some of ‘the old songs’. A couple of significant numbers are missing, but that was always going to be the case with such a back catalogue.
The band, led by musical director Nic Southwood, sounds good, and at more than one point CJ takes a moment to acknowledge both them and the dancers. Songs are extended into jam and dance breaks to allow for quick costume changes, running the full wardrobe of the iconic Jackson outfits.
There are some great moments, including CJ’s slow walk across the stage to the case containing the glove (the fans know what is coming and the less familiar are still waiting, knowing something is about to kick off). There’s ‘Billie Jean’ of course, and ‘Smooth Criminal’is another chance to show off many of Jackson’s moves, twists and turns, including a lovely flip by one of the supporting dancers. We end with ‘Man in The Mirror’and the audience on their feet.
The dancing throughout is impressive, but none more obviously so than a performance from Holly Harrison during ‘Dirty Diana’. We find out at the end that Holly is the choreographer, but to be fair we could have guessed as much. Her spectacular solos and her overall skill is a level above everyone else on the stage; and that is not to suggest anyone was lacking – far from it!
While it’s not audience participation, the audience are in good form, with moments of people on their feet cheering, and it’s a sold out night at Bromley with a room full of families, kids and adults dressed in iconic Jackson outfits. There is a nice moment as CJ runs out into the audience highfiving and acknowledging people dressed up, making sure to cover the entire stalls, not just picking out the front row. However, a sea of screens was not ideal. Granted, there are a few effective moments where the glow from phone torches is used to replicate the lighters of Jackson’s era, but the constant recording and photo-taking throughout was distracting. More than once, I found myself feeling like I was watching the show through someone else’s screen.
Did I go home and immediately pop on some Michael Jackson? Yes, yes I did. Man in the Mirror is smooth (not criminal!) and slick and an enjoyable evening out, so take my strong advice and catch this on tour near you.
Choreographer: Holly Harrison
Musical Director: Nic Southwood
Man in the Mirror is currently on tour. Further information and booking details can be found here