The Performer’s Awe

I must say I’ve been gripped by ‘MJ power.’ I went and saw THIS IS IT (2009) again, probably because I’m allured to the greatness of the man, Michael Jackson. There is some raw yet genius sparkle and simmer about this depiction of the recently departed legend, the King of Pop. As I marvelled at simply being present for ‘the second performance’ I saw straight away what it was like for the principal artists selected for this gig.

The production starts with several of the performers speaking into the camera—presumably a personal message to MJ himself. Some of these top fish are simply emotionally windswept, yet paradoxically at their zenith, that they get their own individual chance at approaching ‘his pop majesty.’

What a wonderful world we live in that we have thousands upon thousands of other human beings we can admire, look up to, and simply try emulate. What a God we have in the universe to have created a world like this.

Imagine for a moment approaching someone way out of your own reach—someone you idolise in a healthy, inspiring way—and then that person is suddenly in view. By chance of inspiration—the fact you’re alive—you’re there in their presence... and then they speak... and then you do; this legend is listening to what you’re saying. You’re breaking into their conscious stream.

For all the greatness and experience of greatness of this person, you’ve commanded their attention, even for one moment.

I reflected recently upon the wonder of shaking a particular person’s hand and talking with them—and the fact that this person has met the Queen and so many “great” others, notwithstanding playing a key role in the unfolding of commonplace famed history.

I find it’s a living reality of wonder that we live in a time—any time in history for that matter—where we’re breathing the same air and drinking the same water that every other person ever did. As Michael Jackson said in THIS IS IT, ‘We’re one.’

Watching the rest of this production, after glimpsing this insight of the performer’s awe, I couldn’t help but see the blissful, dream-inspired, punchy delight on the faces and in the bodies of the performers as they performed with the King of Pop.

To simply imagine this dream is to somehow live.

For those performers living their dream, I salute you!

© S. J. Wickham, 2009.