Man in the Mirror: A Tribute to Michael Jackson at Golders Green Hippodrome
Of all the proud tribute acts showcased in the sizzle reel preceding Man in the Mirror, some raise questions. Surely the hollow approximation of a band of Beatles re-enactors would be made only more plain by the fact that two living Beatles are still performing, though they presumably charge more. Still, on the face of it, the hazy sheen of reverential nostalgia bestowed upon each of these acts ought to be harmless, directly catered to those who are paying for the pleasure of tunes they already know and which they will be duly served. Still, of all the acts on offer, few demand so wilful an abandonment of one’s critical faculties at the door as this one.
The set-up for Man in the Mirror is straightforwardly no-nonsense. A performer introducing himself as CJ will strut across the stage, eerily approximating both Michael Jackson’s appearance and voice as the greatest hits are proficiently struck upon, one after another. It certainly delivers what is promised, though it no doubt suffers from the same affliction as most any act of its kind: a simple inability to bottle the dynamism of its subject to a degree that a simple recording of the real thing couldn’t supersede, as well as a clear absence of the real thing’s arsenal of razzle dazzle production tools. As an act presented to the wedding guests of a wealthy host to impress upon them the expenses that went into the festivities, Man in the Mirror may cut the mustard in terms of production value, but it certainly seems like the unmistakably low-rent option next to the West End’s ongoing MJ: The Musical.
All the same, sometimes a show is marked to a much greater degree by what is not in it, and by the insistently non-interrogative stance required to delight in it. Man in the Mirror’s stopover at the Golders Green Hippodrome falling on the same week that the second part of Dan Reed’s Leaving Neverland – charting the accusations of child sexual abuse two men have made against Jackson – premiered on Channel 4 may be coincidental, but it is queasy-making nonetheless. There may be a gap between the show’s drive to honour Jackson’s gifts as an entertainer and wider public awareness of his behaviour offstage. Still, regardless of how significant the gap, it makes a bleak no man’s land for an ostensibly frothy cabaret show to locate itself within. Man in the Mirror demands no reflection from its crowd, so one is tempted to reflect instead on the unspoken contract any piece of media intended to celebrate a showman accused of awful acts must draw up with its audience: essentially, that it be agreed and shaken upon that neither party will trouble themselves with thinking about it much. Indeed, singing and swaying along as they do, the predominantly over-the-age-of-40 crowd in attendance may only be seeking simple permission to enjoy the pop bangers guilt-free; a dream-safe space for the anti-woke crowd.
There is some relief, then, in the fact that Man in the Mirror refuses any kind of narrative framework. There is no intention to communicate a larger, faux-inspirational idea surrounding Jackson’s personhood to the audience, only an energetic enough willingness to run through the songs. When CJ stops to address the crowd, it’s a small mercy that he does not purport to be Jackson himself, revealing that some sense of good taste and limits does persist in the face of the performer’s otherwise all-consuming commitment to the bit. Not Michael’s strict adherence to estate-friendly karaoke keeps the show smoothly digestible, with a welcome spotlight on the background dancers effectively channelling the rest of the Jackson 5 and keeping many of the numbers afloat.
Delivering exactly what is promised in a proficient manner, Man in the Mirror cannot help but embody the resolutely unwholesome task of making celebratory musical lemonade from the lemons of Michael Jackson’s fraught legacy. The nostalgic endeavour’s target audience will likely have already decided upon whether the show is for them ahead of time, and while they will likely feel better served by MJ: The Musical, they will still find much of what they are looking for.
Thomas Messner
Photos: Courtesy of Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror: A Tribute to Michael Jackson is at Golders Green Hippodrome until 22nd March 2025. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.
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