Thriller Live - Review by Kelly Stocker

*** (3.5 Stars)

Grand Opera House, York - Monday 4 November, 2013

As a Michael Jackson fan, expectations were incredibly high for this show and it did not disappoint.

The musical tribute follows the life of Michael Jackson through his songs rather than them being turned into a jukebox musical, such as Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You. Upon entering the theatre I was impressed by the set, which was quite spectacular for a tour.

The show starts with huge amounts of energy that immediately brought out a great reaction from the audience and this is maintained throughout the rest of the show. There is a lot of audience participation too, which really helps build up a good atmosphere within the theatre.

The stand-out performance of the show has to be Cleopatra Higgins, from The Voice UK, whose outstanding vocal is the highlight of the night. She also dances with style and has a great stage presence. Credit also goes to Lascel Wood, previously seen on The X Factor, for some soulful singing and to Sean Christopher for some unbelievable dancing including the famous moonwalk.

However, a couple of songs are performed a little too over-the-top for my taste, such as Jesse Smith’s rendition of "She’s out of my Life". The thing that really stands out is the high level of dancing: it is far above that of other tours - particularly in the songs "Dangerous" and "Smooth Criminal" where the iconic Michael Jackson moves get the audience cheering and dancing.

Overall, I would say this was a great feel-good musical, a fun night out and I could easily watch it again!

Thriller Live is playing at the Grand Opera House, York until 9 November. Get your tickets here: http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/thriller-live/grand-opera-house-york/about

For information about the Thriller Live tour - check out their website: http://thrillerlive.com/