Michael Jackson may be keeping his public appearances to a minimum at present, but older brother Tito is happy to fly the family flag. Tito, the eldest of the Jackson 5, is jetting into town this week to attend the opening of Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller Live!, which opens at the West End’s Lyric theatre next week (21 January 2009, previews from 2 January).
Tito will be guest of honour on opening night for the concert show, which has already had three UK tours prior to its current stint in the West End. It 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”.
Speaking about the show, Tito, whose three sons formed the pop group 3T, said: “Our music is very much alive and still relevant to the youth of today and it remains part of the fabric of modern day life. This show, with its talented cast, acknowledges and celebrates our music and the sort of entertainment that the Jackson family have created over the last 40 years.”