Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to become Broadway musical show

Shooting down reports that he is battling a life-threatening lung condition, Michael Jackson is planning his 2009 comeback on Broadway.  The Nederlander Organization said in a statement that it had acquired the rights to produce a musical based on Michael Jackson’s 1982 masterpiece “Thriller”. “Thriller” is the world’s biggest selling album and the theatre production will recreate the tale of the 14-minute horror film spoof based on the title song.

Finally making good on years of promises about his showbiz return,Jackson plans to oversee “every aspect of the creative process,” and will provide songs from Thriller (including the title cut, “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “P.Y.T.”) as well as tracks from his 1979 multiplatinum solo smash, Off the Wall, which featured “Rock With You,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “She’s Out of My Life.”

The plot will presumably follow that of his groundbreaking 14-minute “Thriller” video. The “Thriller” video, featuring dancing zombies and horror film star Vincent Price, was first aired in 1983 and became a staple of MTV. It was directed by filmmaker John Landis, who said it cost $500,000  — about 10 times the cost of the standard music video of the time.

“I love the idea of making Thriller a musical. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, boy has big secret,” quipped producer James L. Nederlander, whose company runs nine Broadway theaters.

No word yet when Thriller, the Musical will make its debut on the Great White Way.

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