Michael Jackson musical to premiere in Chicago before Broadway

By Darel Jevens

dont_stop_til_you_get_enough_billboard_on_44th_street_courtesy_of_dkc_om_e1548261897240.jpg — A billboard advertises “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” in New York. | DKC OM

Chicagoans will be the first to see a new musical featuring the songs of Michael Jackson and created by two of the day’s top theatrical talents.

Tentatively titled “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” the show is scheduled to begin performances Oct. 29 at the James N. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph. The run will continue through Dec. 1.

“Don’t Stop,” created in collaboration with the singer’s estate, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (“Ruined”) and is being directed and choreographed by ballet veteran Christopher Wheeldon. A Tony winner for his choreography of “An American in Paris” on Broadway, Wheeldon also oversaw the Joffrey Ballet’s “Nutcracker” revamp, set in Chicago, that premiered in 2016.

Christopher Wheeldon as photographed at the Joffrey Tower on Nov. 17, 2016. | Santiago Covarrubias/Sun-Times — Christopher Wheeldon at photographed at the Joffrey Tower on Nov. 17, 2016. | Santiago Covarrubias/Sun-Times

Single tickets are not yet on sale for the Jackson show, but groups of 10 or more may buy tickets by calling (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayinChicago.com. A 2020 Broadway debut is planned.

Playwright Lynn Nottage. | Rob Kim/Getty Images

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