Photos

1st Night Photos: Tito & La Toya Turn Out for Thriller

Editorial Staff
London's West End

Following her eviction from the Celebrity Big Brother house last night, La Toya Jackson (pictured) hot-footed it over to the Cafe de Paris to join brother Tito to celebrate the West End opening of Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller Live. The evening turned into something of a Big Brother reunion, as Jackson’s former housemates Lucy Pinder and Michelle Heaton also turned out for the show.

Billed as a concert show as opposed to a musical, Thriller Live, which runs at the Lyric Theatre, includes Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 chart-toppers such as “I Want You Back”, “I’ll Be There”, “Earth Song”, “Blame It on the Boogie”, “Billie Jean”, “Beat It” and, of course, the title song, “Thriller” from best-selling albums including Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous and HIStory.

The cast is led by three 13-year olds who rotate in the role of Young Michael – with newcomer Kieran Alleyne, who was cast through open auditions, enjoying the limelight on press night.

TO SCROLL THROUGH ALL OF THRILLER LIVE‘s 1st NIGHT PHOTOS,
JUST CLICK ON THE “NEXT >” LINKS BELOW THE FOLLOWING FRAME.
PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

For 1st Night Photos, our Whatsonstage.com photographer Dan Wooller was on hand for the arrivals, curtain call and post-show party at the Cafe de Paris, where thc company were joined by guests including Tito Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Michelle Heaton, Ciara Janson, Nicholas Hoult, Kid Creole, Jocelyn Jee Esien, Will Mellor, Alicia Douvall, Vanessa Feltz, David Badella, Lucy Pinder, Cleo Rocos and Ray Shell.

Thriller Live was originally conceived and created by long-time Jackson associate Adrian Grant. It’s directed by Gary Lloyd, who has also choreographed it with additional choreography by LaVelle Smith Jr and Kerys Nathan. It’s produced by Flying Music, which has previously had success with compilation musicals including The Rat Pack and Dancing in the Streets.
The show received a one-off West End try-out at the Dominion Theatre in 2006 and has subsequently had three UK-wide tours.

The weekly schedule for the self-styled “family-friendly” show will include two Sunday performances for the first time in the West End, with top-price tickets capped at £49.50. Thriller Live is currently booking through to 12 April 2009.

– by Theo Bosanquet