New Michael Jackson musical gets name update

Fans visit Michael Jackson's mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California on June 25, 2019, the 10th anniversary of the King of Pop's death. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)        (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
Fans visit Michael Jackson's mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California on June 25, 2019, the 10th anniversary of the King of Pop's death. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

Once Michael Jackson was the most beloved pop star on the planet. But since his death, in the wake of a series of child sexual

abuse allegations, that has all changed. But that hasn’t stopped a musical about the musician’s life being developed.

Due to open next summer, the show was originally called Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough. But now Variety has learned that the production will undergo a name change.

“We can confirm that the Michael Jackson musical has a new title,” said Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the show. “As the show has evolved through its development process, the production felt that ‘MJ’ was a better and stronger choice than relying on the title of any one individual song.”

Read more: Michael Jackson documentary generated an array of emotions for viewers

The show was meant to open in Chicago for a short run earlier this year, but in the end the event was cancelled as it clashed with the release of HBO’s Leaving Neverland, which alleged that Michael Jackson had sexually abused two boys – Wade Robson and James Safechuck – during the 1980s and 90s.

The new name for the stage production will be “MJ”. The change is due to the fact that the organisers felt that singling out just one song did not represent the show and Jackson’s music fully.

Read more: Michael Jackson musical 'Thriller Live' gets an extended run in the West End

There is already one stage show based around the singer’s music. Thriller Live opened in 2006 before taking up a permanent home in London’s West End three years later. The show was conceived by Adrian Grant, a friend of the Jackson family.

Michael Jackson was 50 when he died in 2009. Since then his family have fought any allegations of misconduct against the singer.