NFL player and Broadway fan Solomon Thomas will make a one-night-only cameo appearance in Broadway's MJ The Musical June 13 at the Neil Simon Theatre.
Thomas, who played for the New York Jets for the past three years and signed to the Dallas Cowboys in March, said in a statement, "I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my time in New York than by making my Broadway debut! I am so grateful to MJ for making this dream come true and for the support over the past few years. It鈥檚 truly an honor to be able to witness the greatness of these performers. I hope to see everyone at the Neil Simon Theatre on June 13!鈥�
While playing for the Jets, Thomas was an avid supporter of Broadway, especially of MJ. He has seen the hit musical six times. In fact, he brought nearly a dozen teammates to the show, which was subsequently featured on an episode of HBO鈥檚 Hard Knocks. Thomas has also acted as a theatre correspondent for CBS, and presented at last year鈥檚 Tony Awards.
鈥淪olly has been such a great supporter and friend of Broadway and our show,鈥� stated producer Lia Vollack. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 think of a better way to thank him for his time in New York鈥攇iving him his Broadway debut!鈥�
Thomas is an eight-year NFL veteran entering his ninth season and a three-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. Off the field, he is the co-founder and Board Chair of The Defensive Line鈥攁 nonprofit he founded with his parents following the tragic loss of his sister, Ella, to suicide in January 2018. TDL鈥檚 mission is to end the epidemic of youth suicide, especially among young people of color, by transforming how we communicate and connect around mental health.
MJ, which began previews December 6, 2021, prior to an official opening February 1, 2022, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and a score made up of some of the most popular songs in recording history. Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon directs and choreographs.
Detroit native Elijah Rhea Johnson stepped into the leading role of Michael Jackson in MJ the Musical April 4, 2023, marking his own Broadway debut. Johnson, who helped develop the role of Middle Michael throughout the workshop process of MJ, succeeded Myles Frost. (Frost made history in 2022, becoming the youngest individual actor to win a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.)
The musical also has sets by Derek McLane, lighting by Natasha Katz, costumes by Paul Tazewell, sound design by Gareth Owen, projection design by Peter Nigrini, hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe, music direction by Jason Michael Webb, musical supervision by David Holcenberg, and orchestrations by Holcenberg and Webb. Casting is by Rachel Hoffman and Lindsay Levine of The Telsey Office.
The show took home four 2022 Tony Awards in total, including Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design in a Musical, and Best Sound Design in a Musical.
The North American tour of MJ is currently playing in Milwaukee at the Bass Performance Hall, starring Jordan Markus. The West End production, at London鈥檚 Prince Edward Theatre, stars Jamaal Fields-Green, the German production at Hamburg鈥檚 Stage Theater is led by Ben茅t Monteiro, and the Australian production at Sydney鈥檚 Lyric Theatre features Roman Banks in the title role.
Read more about the hit musical in the 半岛体育 Vault.
Elijah Rhea Johnson and company of MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson in MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson and company of MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson and company of MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson and company of MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson and company of MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson and company of MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson in MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson in MJ
Elijah Rhea Johnson and company of MJ
