The unveiling took place June 24, and was made by the cast of “Thriller Live,” the Jackson tribute concert currently playing at the Lyric, and by Diversity, the British dance group who had been set to perform with Jackson in his “This Is It” concert tour before his untimely death on June 25, 2009.
The memorial consists of a commorative plaque in the Lyric’s foyer. It marks both the one-year anniversary of Jackson’s passing and 18 months of Thriller Live performances at the theatre.
Thriller Live features music from Jackson’s solo career and from his younger days performing with his brothers as The Jackson Five. Adrian Grant, the executive director of the concert and a longtime friend of Jackson’s, said at the dedication, “A year ago we had to decide whether to cancel the show out of respect for Michael, or let the show continue knowing that we had a sold-out performance the evening of the 26th. We decided to go ahead and commemorate Michael’s life, with what turned out to be one of the most emotionally charged evening of our lives. Following a minute’s silence the cast — brought together by [director-choreographer] Gary Lloyd — delivered a performance that Michael would have been proud of. And we continue to do that to this very day.”
The Lyric Theatre is located on Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End.
— Tommy Peter