Washington: An upcoming musical based on the life and career of late pop icon Michael Jackson has gotten a new title.
Originally called ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, will now be known as ‘MJ’, reported Variety.
The upcoming project is currently in a multi-week development phase in New York City and is scheduled to hit Broadway in the summer next year.
“We can confirm that the Michael Jackson musical has a new title,” Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the show, said.
“As the show has evolved through its development process, the production felt that ‘MJ’ was a better and stronger choice than relying on the title of anyone individual song,” Miramontez added.
However, the recent project has been overshadowed by multiple allegations of child sexual abuse that have been levelled over the years against the late pop icon.
The controversy was reignited by a recent HBO documentary titled ‘Leaving Neverland’, which features lengthy interviews with two Jackson accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who claim that the singer abused them when they were young. Jackson passed away in 2009 at the age of 50 and the late singer’s family has denied all of the abuse allegations.
The film stirred controversy, drawing mixed reactions from the public. The late singer’s family criticised the film, while, many fans and supporters of Jackson staged protests against the broadcast of the documentary.
Following the broadcast of the documentary on HBO, many popular brands like Starbucks and Louis Vuitton are trying to distance themselves from Jackson. Several radio stations in Canada and New Zealand have also banned the late singer’s music from their playlists in the wake of the recent allegations made in the documentary.
Jackson’s estate had criticised the film, previously calling it “tabloid character assassination.”
Last winter, in the wake of ‘Leaving Neverland’s’ release, the musical’s producers cancelled a Chicago tryout.
‘MJ’ features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and will rely on the pop star’s extensive catalog of hits for its music. Jackson’s songs include ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ and ‘Smooth Criminal’. Tony Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon will direct and choreograph.