Extra Thriller-Adrian Grant talks about the meeting with MJ
28th May 2009
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/leisure/4402322.Extra_Thriller/
Adrian Grant talks to Viv Hardwick about the meeting with Michael Jackson that inspired his show Thriller Live. The touring version of the West End hit reaches Darlington next week.
TOTAL disbelief was the reaction of long-time Michael Jackson fan Adrian Grant when he got to meet the controversial superstar on his Neverland ranch back in 1990.
“When I first went over to Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch and there weres monkeys running around inside and a tiger, a giraffe, llamas and everything, I was thinking ‘this isn’t real’. His security guard told me ‘it is real for Michael Jackson, he’s grown up with that, that’s his reality’.
“When you do spend time with him you realise he’s as very down to earth as much as I’m talking to you now. He’ll joke around and he’s very knowledgeable about his music and his craft, but away from all that he’s just a normal guy who has had massive success. His life has been lived under a microscope unfortunately and he’s been naive and been let down by people and made mistakes which he’d hold his hand up to, “ says Grant, who opened Thriller Live in the West End in January after finding success with a touring version which reaches Darlington Civic Theatre next week.
In the Eighties, he launched the Off The Wall fan magazine selling 200 copies. Subscriptions grew to 25,000 and led to an annual Michael Jackson tribute show from 1991 with the tenth anniversary event attended by Jackson.
“We had over 3,000 people there and it came into my mind that it would make a stage show in its own right. At that time a one-off event cost us about £30,000 up to £100,000, “ says Grant, who gained the investment of the Flying Music production company in 2006 to develop the show, but admits it was hard handing over “his baby” to the commercial experts. “On the creative side I work hand-in-hand with the director (Gary Lloyd) but he provides the choreography and staging, “ he says.
The only downside of linking your burgeoning stage production career so closely to Jackson is that Reading-based Grant finds himself having to defend the 50-year-old singer’s reputation even though his show never touches on the “*****”
side of the artist.
“The funny thing is that when one of his records, like Billy Jean, plays people aren’t talking about the allegations against him. We don’t touch on any of the controversy.
People are just dancing and having a good time. We’ve had people as young as five and as old as 70 dancing in the aisles, “ says Grant, who developed Thriller Live from two years of UK and European touring. This year it will move on from Newcastle and York to Czechoslovakia and Poland.
Jackson hasn’t seen this latest version of the show but brother Tito did pop along to the Lyric Theatre recently “and was complimentary” while a taped version was sent to the singer who, until suffering skin cancer problems, was promising new releases, TV appearances and a tour to London’s O2 arena.
Grant says: “He’s going to come back bigger and better than ever. I’m looking forward to hearing his new material. He’s looking forward to putting this negative period behind him. In my case, it’s hard to go wrong with Michael Jackson’s music.
“When we first started touring he gave me a message of congratulations. Otherwise, there is no direct deal with Michael Jackson.
It’s a concept presentation of his music, not a book musical where you’d need planned rights.
With tribute shows, you’re free to put on a presentation.”
Grant says that his many meetings with Jackson shows that the “reclusive” side of the singer is more of a media myth. “At the end of the day he’s one of the most open pop stars I’ve met.
Prince is reclusive, but Michael will open his doors to the public and fans.
I once offered him a few dance moves which he laughed at. His advice to me was that you need rhinoceros skin to be in this industry, “ he says.
Sunderland’s Ben Forster as the voice of Michael Jackson during his rock music period, with the material shared by five lead singers including a female version (originally Darlington’s Zoe Birkett followed by fellow ex-Pop Idol contestant Hayley Evetts).
■ Thriller Live, Darlington Civic Theatre, Monday- Saturday. Tickets: £16.50-£26.50.
Box Office: 01325-486-555 darlington.co.uk
