What Garth Field lacks in height as Michael Jackson, he makes it up in vocals and dance moves

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

When in 2012, I took a family member aged 5, who for now will remain unnamed, to the first tour of the Michael Jackson Tribute show at Joburg Theatre where US entertainer Wizzy was in performance, it was with the understanding that the said family member would appreciate the show. After all, the family member had long been introduced to the sound and music of the King of Pop since birth. Alongside of course, the sounds of Bob Marley, among other musical styles. That is anyway, what happens when you are born into a family with certain musical tastes. You do not have much of a choice but to like whatever the family enjoys, until of course you grow up and get to develop your own taste in life as you become independent and get exposed to other forms of art.

Anyway, I am digressing. When I took the family member, who was also accompanied by his best friend from school, we were only able to watch minutes of the first set. I and the family member  had to leave the show before the second set, leaving his friend to watch the rest of the show in the Mandela Theatre, while we had to make do with watching the show on the big screen in the foyer.

It turned out that the family member could not stand watching “Michael Jackson” in real life on stage.

You see,  the family member had seen people fainting at the Michael Jackson’s shows through the several videos he had watched since birth, and therefore, it made sense that he did not want to be a victim of Michael Jackson’ overpowering presence.

And so on Sunday, January 21, 2024, I did not want to take a chance and invite the same family member to go watch yet another ‘Michael Jackson’ show. Especially because even though he is now three times older than what he was when we watched the first tribute concert in South Africa, he still believes that Wizzy was the real Michael Jackson. No explanation will convince him otherwise.

But in hindsight, I should perhaps have invited him, especially with the benefit of age, now being 16, perhaps this time around, he would see the show through till the end. And also this time around, the impersonator is obliviously shorter than Michael Jackson. But what he lacks in height, he makes up for in both singing and dancing. His voice if you were not looking at him, and noticing his lack of height, you would swear that he is Michael Jackson proper.  Therefore beside the betrayal of his height, his vocal abilities and his dance moves, make him a perfect Michael Jackson impersonator. His voice and almost perfect dance moves, Including Michael Jackson’s famous moon dance, make him a perfect Michael Jackson impersonator. The fully packed Mandela Theatre was touched as the audience sang along and clapped their hands in appreciation of this full South African cast.

​ The HIStory tribute concert, featuring a proudly South African cast and the electrifying performance of Garth Field as Michael Jackson, is currently enthralling audiences having opened on Thursday, 18 January to and will run till Sunday, 4 February 2024, with 10 exhilarating performances. Showcasing the creative genius and unmatched talent of Michael Jackson, the concert spans his early days with the Jackson 5, his ground-breaking theatrics in the ’80s, to his enduring influence on pop culture in the 21st century.

Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema, CEO of Joburg City Theatres, describes the show as a spectacular music tribute with a triple-threat performer, returning after its debut six years ago.

Audiences can anticipate a repertoire of Jackson’s greatest hits, including Thriller, Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal, Bad, Beat It, ABC, Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Human Nature, PYT, They Don’t Really Care About Us, and more.

“Music brings people together, and our productions never disappoint because we are the home of world-class entertainment, connecting the stars in the city of gold,” says Nduneni-Ngema.

She emphasises the power of music to bring people together and assures that Joburg Theatre’s productions never disappoint as the home of world-class entertainment.

The Michael Jackson HIStory Tribute Show has garnered critical acclaim worldwide, having toured the USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa since 2012.

“Michael Jackson was the king of showmanship who created amazing sensory experiences, and that’s what will be recreated on stage. We encourage Michael Jackson fans and theatre lovers to celebrate the start of the new year at Joburg Theatre with a night of nostalgia, dance, and incredible music,” Nduneni-Ngema adds.

Tickets for Michael Jackson’s HIStory Tribute Show are available at www.joburgtheatre.com, with shows scheduled at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. performances on Sundays.