The lights are still dark on Broadway because of COVID-19. And while some shows such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Hangmen hollered grand closing before they even opened, MJ, the Michael Jackson musical, will still moonwalk its way into the Neil Simon Theater in New York City.
Ephraim Sykes, who will embody the King of Pop, was originally slated to start previews in July and officially portray the gloved one on August 13. Now the Tony-nominated actor will hit the stage for the first time on April 15, 2021.
Neil Simon Theater noted that ticket holders ready for the July 2020 sneak peek will receive an automatic credit card refund.
Back in April, ESSENCE spoke with Sykes, who was busy diving into the role during quarantine.
“I’m practicing, practicing, practicing, taking my voice lessons and digging even more into the reading materials and talking to people who knew him personally,” Sykes said, while turning his living room into a dance studio. “It gives me more time to let this thing bake and be even better when the time comes.”
To help the thousands of crew and actors out of work, Jackson’s estate gave $100,000 to Broadway Cares, the emergency fund assisting these artists during the pandemic.
The Broadway League announced months ago that theaters will be closed until early June, now it’s saying Labor Day. According to Vulture, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, put arts and entertainment in the last phase of his plan to reopen the state.