This Was Definitely It

Like everyone else, I was shocked to find out on the morning of June 25, 2009 that Michael Jackson had died. My childhood would not have been complete without his music, particularly on albums like “Off The Wall”, “Bad”, and of course, the monster that was “Thriller”. Though he somewhat faded from public view due to his eccentricities, his music would pop up on the airwaves every so often. Once in a while, I even played his albums on my iPod for kicks because I was still a fan. Yet the whole world seemed to shake and convulse when the “King of Pop” passed away at the age of 50. His planned concert tour of 50 shows called “This Is It” would not happen.

Surprisingly, that concert tour’s choreographer and director, Kenny Ortega (of High School Musical 1, 2, and 3 fame) had apparently shot a bunch of rehearsal and backstage videos of the preparations for the tour. There was so much video shot of auditions for back-up dancers, Michael and company shooting videos that were to be shown on giant video walls while performing, and Michael freestyling on vocals and dancing, that Ortega could make a pseudo-documentary out of it. As a final tribute to Jackson’s genius, This Is It, the film, was created for a limited two-week theatrical run and boy, it’s definitely worth watching on the big screen.

It’s a performance tour-de-force and a rare look into the painstaking attention to detail that Michael gave to every concert, every performance, and every song. From the first beats you hear of “Wanna Be Starting Something”, you are instantly transfixed on the genius and your feet begin to start tapping along to the rhythm. Throughout the film, one sees the perfectionist that Michael was, paying attention to details such as music cues, variations in dance steps, where and when he would be standing for a particular note, how his performance syncs with pre-shot videos, and even how a burning coat should be treated once it starts to burn. He may have been a bit obsessive-compulsive, but nobody can ever argue with the fantastic results that his live concerts had become. There are a couple of moments when he asks the musical director or Ortega to start a song all over again because he noticed something they could improve on. “That’s why we do rehearsal,” he said, and you knew he took rehearsal very seriously.

The dancers who auditioned to be part of the tour were literally in tears when they found out they would join their idol. Often, while Michael rehearsed or tried out a few moves, those dancers were screaming and cheering the loudest. Why? Because, as my friend Mitch said, “They just got treated to a free concert!” We should all be as lucky as they were.

Michael was also gracious enough to share the stage with a few artists, and two really stood out. Greek-Australian Orianthi Panagaris stepped into the venerable rock and roll shoes worn by Eddie Van Halen and Slash to do the difficult guitar riffs on “Billie Jean” and “Black or White” respectively. She didn’t just do them justice, Orianthi stood toe to toe with the King of Pop and matched his energy on her guitar. Japanese-American Judith Hill sang Siedah Garrett’s part in the Jackson duet “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and hit all the notes that the former Brand New Heavies lead vocalist once made famous. Those who watched Michael’s memorial service at Staples Center might remember Hill as the girl who led the singing of “Heal The World” at the end. These two women shared a stage with the great entertainer, and might have just received a final push from him on their own individual paths to stardom.

Make no mistake, the footage used in This Is It wasn’t supposed to be released to the general public. They were intended for Michael’s personal collection, just something to chronicle the events leading up to the tour. It may seem a bit rough or out of focus at times, and there are instances when Michael isn’t really singing, but rather humming along as he traces his dance moves. Luckily for us, Ortega was able to translate it into a fitting tribute piece. It’s just so sad that when one watches this film, you note how Michael seemed to be so full of life and looked so energized when he was onstage. It’s like being in the spotlight with people looking at his every move put him at ease. There were a lot of moments where my friends and I would be dazzled by his moves, then realize that Michael is indeed gone. The King of Pop is indeed dead, and This Is It is all that we have left of what might have been a magical concert experience. Thankfully, for artists and musicians like Michael Jackson, the music lives on long after the man has left the building.