The Jo Jackson Dance Company is bringing the popular stage production Beat It! – The Incredible Story of Michael Jackson to life once again at the Guild Theatre on January 27 and 28.
This hit show is returning due to audience demand, however, this will be the last time it is staged.
“We had such an incredible time on both of the previous runs that we were happy to oblige and bring it back.
“We’d really like to thank East London audiences for the support of Beat It; it is this support that enables us to tap back into the MJ magic,” said Jackson.
“During the previous two runs, we were still under a 50% capacity restriction in the theatre [due to the lockdown] and so many people did not get the chance to see the show.
“We had people calling us begging us for tickets during both of the previous runs.
“We’re bringing it back so everyone can have this experience, along with us: the show is really a theatrical experience that must be shared with as many people, we believe.”
Written by Daniel Anderson and choreographed by Kirt Ruiters, Duane Joaquim, Emma Victor, and Jo Jackson, Beat It! tells the story of the King of Pop’s career and personal life from the perspective of his fictional stylists.
“The story goes way beyond that and tells of Michael the man, which, in turn, informs us about why his career played out as it did. It’s a celebration of Michael as a reformer of pop music and the dance industry that has not been the same since he came along.
“We also have Dantanio Goodman, who is an international Michael Jackson tribute act and his work in this regard really is something out of this world: if you think he’ll be any good as an MJ impersonator, double your expectation and then double it again and you’ll get the picture of just how good this guy is,” said Jackson.
The show features a four-piece band, five solo singers (including the narrators), a vocal group of four, a 30-member choir, and 40 dancers who all hail from East London.
Last year, the production won the World of Dance regional qualifier and placed first at Dancestar.
Tickets for the show are available at Computicket and cost R200 for adults and R150 for pensioners and children under the age of 12.
