It seems that Michael Jackson is a hot topic in plays and Broadway shows at the moment. Especially with the success of the official “MJ The Musical”, a lot of plays, good and bad, are in the work or being released. After “For the love of a glove“, the distasteful comedy about Michael Jackson’s glove, here come a more positive play. Miami New Drama will debut its world premiere production of Defacing Michael Jackson on March 9, 2023, at the Colony Theatre.
This semi-autobiographical play written by South Florida native playwright Aurin Squire is based on a group of children in Opa Locka, Florida, in 1984 who have a Michael Jackson fan club and decide to build a mural in the town in honor of their hero. Defacing Michael Jackson is a universal story that will resonate with all communities and people whose perception and admiration of their childhood heroes and idols shifted dramatically as they grew into adulthood.
Squire was inspired to write Defacing Michael Jackson when he participated in an exercise writing class as an intern at New Drama in New York City. The exercise called for looking at childhood rituals that formed a community, giving you identity and creating rituals that disintegrated when you grow up. The 20-minute one-act play version of Defacing Michael Jackson was born from that exercise. Squire’s one-act play won an award at the Samuel French festival and was published. After the death of Micheal Jackson, Squire decided to expand it into a full-length play.
“This is a play about people, identity, where we belong, why we worship idols and need heroes in our lives,” said Shaun Patrick Tubbs, director of Defacing Michael Jackson.
“We are incredibly proud to be doing the world premiere of this play and continue our commitment to Aurin Squire as an artist. – Michel Hausmann, Artistic Director, Miami New Drama.
It is an interesting concept and if you were a fan in the 90s, this might bring good memories of a life style or for those younger, maybe a cool view of what was like to be a fan back then.
World Premiere of Defacing Michael Jackson By Miami New Drama
March 9th-April 2nd
Colony Theatre-1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fl
Tickets and Info: miaminewdrama.org
