David Julien, Haydon Eshun, Florivaldo Mossi, Vivienne Ekwulugo – Photo Betty Zapata
BOTTOM: Thriller 7000 in Edinburgh
Britt Quentin, Kieran Alleyne, Ina Seidou – Photo Edinburgh Evening News
Thriller Live, the acclaimed West End concert spectacular, is today celebrating a landmark 7000 performances – with shows in both London and Edinburgh.
The West End cast are celebrating along with the international tour cast, who are performing all this week at Edinburgh’s Playhouse Theatre.
Producers Paul Walden and Derek Nicol said: “Just as Michael Jackson himself did throughout his prolific career, Thriller Live continues to smash old records and set new ones. We are more than thrilled to reach this incredible milestone – very few shows have this longevity so we’d like to take a moment to say thanks to the fans that continue to celebrate Michael Jackson’s music and also to salute the hundreds of singers, dancers, musicians and backstage staff who have toured the world over the past 12 years as part of the Thriller Live family.”
Now in its 11th year, producers recently extended its record-breaking West End run at the Lyric Theatre to April 2020.
A non-stop concert featuring all of the greatest hits from a career spanning the Jackson 5 to Thriller, the world’s best-selling album with more than 105 million copies sold to date, Thriller Live has now been performed in 33 countries worldwide – never failing to get a standing ovation.
Originally scheduled from January to May 2009, Thriller Live’s run has been extended over 20 times since and it continues to draw theatre-going audience and pop fans to sold-out shows at the Lyric Theatre.
On Sunday, April 7, at the 4,625th West End performance, Thriller Live overtook Miss Saigon to become the 13th Longest Running West End Musical of all time!
Thriller Live is unlike other West End musicals. There is no script or story, it is instead an eye-popping celebration of the Jacksons’ music legacy, bringing to life on stage distinctive high-energy dancing and the pulsating sound of many of pop’s greatest hits. The show
changes each year with new numbers added, and features specially created video footage and effects and dazzling choreography by the show’s award-winning director, Gary Lloyd.
Thriller Live first Moonwalked into the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in 2009 and it holds the record as the longest ever run of a show since the theatre opened in December 1888.
Thriller Live has now been seen by over 5 million people.
Jackie, Marlon and Tito Jackson said of the recent West End extension: “Thriller Live is such a cool celebration of Michael’s music and the music of the Jackson Five we made together. We loved the show when we saw it, and fans in the audience were ‘thrilled’ with the performances. It’s great they’ve extended their run so more fans can have an opportunity to dance to Michael’s music, the Jackson Five music, and to have a great night out.”
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