Elijah Rhea Johnson thrills crowd with his perfect performance as MJ. (Courtesy of Instagram)

On Friday, Feb. 2, Fordham’s Weekend Activities Committee (WAC) hosted their Broadway show excursion for the spring semester. After seeing “Wicked” this past fall, WAC chair member Emma Seber, FCRH ’26, knew another musical would be a hit with Fordham students. 

“We had such a good turnout with ‘Wicked,’ so I was excited to pick out this semester’s musical,” Seber said. She ended up picking “MJ,” a Broadway musical about Michael Jackson that premiered just last year. When Seber told me she chose “MJ” as their committee’s next outing, I knew I had to sign up. I’m not much of a musical enthusiast, but as an ’80s music fan, this event was one I did not want to miss. 

Once Friday night came, our group of about 20 made its way to the Neil Simon Theatre for the nighttime show. We sat in the very back, but it did not matter whether you were in the last row or practically on the stage; “MJ” was a great performance from every angle. 

The show started and ended with some of Jackson’s biggest hits. From “Beat It” to “Billie Jean” and even some songs by the Jackson 5, “MJ” covered all bases when it came to musicality. The chronological display of the music was also particularly fascinating. The show starts with two MTV producers badgering Jackson, played by Elijah Rhea Johnson (although if you had told me that it was actually Michael Jackson on stage, I probably would have believed you), about an interview to excite his upcoming tour. “MJ” takes the audience through his journey to fame, from his discovery as a child to his current standing. Each new era came with a series of musical numbers, highlighting songs from that time in Jackson’s life. Flashing back to the past and then forward again to the high stress of planning his new tour, the audience got a true scope of Jackson’s story. 

Verging on less of a musical and more of a concert, each song performed had the audience dancing in their seats. There was certainly something special about watching a Broadway show where you go in not knowing what the show is about, but still knowing the words to every song. It was not just the music that blew me away, but also the incredible recreations of some of Jackson’s most famous music videos. The dancing in the show was truly impressive and highlighted the performers’ talent. I think part of what made “MJ” so captivating was the blend of nostalgia and excitement that it was able to create. 

We expected to leave the city feeling tired, but our group came back to Fordham with more energy than when we left. “MJ” ends with Jackson taking the stage for his first concert on his tour, which was incredibly fitting considering we all left the theater ready to blast some of his music and sing along. 

I highly recommend seeing this show if you are a fan of ’80s music like myself. You will find yourself captivated by good music and with a deeper appreciation for the story behind the music. The only downside I can think of is that several Jackson songs will now be stuck in my head for the next week.