· Brooklyn
He might be gone, but he is definitely not forgotten; tomorrow is Michael Jackson's 51st birthday, and Spike Lee is calling all five boroughs of New York City to come to Brooklyn's Prospect Park to celebrate. Happening between 12pm and 5pm in the Nethermead Meadow, MJ's birthday party will be a fest of DJs spinning his music and more. Expect lots of single gloves, glittery socks with loafers, and much chanting of "ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa."]]>
At least one aspect of Michael Jackson's life will be kept private: The King of Pop will be buried on his birthday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles—away from the prying eyes of the souvenir-takers.
Although Forest Lawn's Great Mausoleum has been closed for decades, we've rooted out a few places where you can get personal with the famous corpses of your choice. Below, Three Cemeteries Full Of The Famous: ]]>
If any celebrity’s home seems ripe to be turned into a post-mortem tourist attraction, it’s Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. With the roller coasters, chimpanzees, and all the rest of the circus-y stuff, Neverland has drawn gawking onlookers for years, even though the notoriously reclusive MJ never let many past the gates.
The future of the 2,500-acre property has actually been in question since the financially ailing Jackson parted with it last fall. The owners, real estate firm Capital Colony, have stayed mum on what they plan to do with the estate, but have fueled speculation that it will become some kind of tourist trap by hosting 150 prominent residents for dinners at the ranch and handing out caps that say "Neverland 2009." ]]>
Ok, we really don't want to discuss the Michael Jackson Memorial that went on today. We admit we got totally suckered into watching nearly the whole thing and there is just not enough time in the day or space on the internet to list all of what we have to say about that event.
BUT if we had to pick one moment, it would be when Brooke Shields addressed Michael's children by their names: Prince. Paris. Blanket. Moving on....
While we were trying our hardest to focus on the day's work at hand, it was plain to see that the rest of America could not escape the memorial. Not even at the airports. Questlove tells us that: "cats in detroit airport giving it up for @johncmayer" after John Mayer did his rendition of "Human Nature" at the memorial. Detroit, the birthplace of Motown, giving John Mayer props? Wow, Michael Jackson really was a uniting force.
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· We Are Genuinely Afraid for Downtown Los Angeles Tomorrow [Jaunted]]]>
In recent years, Downtown Los Angeles has made some serious efforts to make their area a place where Angelenos can live, work and play with varying degrees of success. However, it wasn't until the entertainment complex LA Live started to come together that we began to think downtown had a real shot at "making it."
But with at least a 100,000 people expected to flood the area surrounding the Staples Center and the Nokia Theater tomorrow, we're simply afraid of the one-gloved, fedora-wearing, Thriller-album holding masses that will descend on downtown. Not to mention the celebrity performers and their entourages.
And despite the new storefronts and restaurant that can be found in downtown these days as opposed to a decade ago, we're not sure they can handle the crowds. Blogdowntown Twittered earlier today:
The L.A. Live Starbucks is basically out of food at 10am. I'm guessing they've had a busy morning already.
The blog also reports that logistics for the memorial tomorrow have been published but a lot remains uncertain, specifically road closures. Several main streets will be closed starting at midnight tonight and a few more may close tomorrow. May we suggest that if you plan on being in Los Angeles tomorrow, do not attempt to drive anywhere tomorrow morning. The town and the traffic will be crazy.
Calling London. If you plan on being near the Liverpool Train Station in the next 30 minutes you could be a part of the flashmob moonwalk being organized by Twitterer Milo Yiannopoulos in honor of Michael Jackson. According to his updates, the police have "approved" this flashmob event inside the train station on the main concourse but only the first 300 moonwalkers will be allowed to participate. (Remember, this is where the T-mobile flashmob dance commercial was also filmed.)
Afterward, revelers are going to the after-party at the Lucky Voice karaoke bar on Upper Street in Islington.
Meanwhile, folks back in the U.S. can pay their respects to the King of Pop by visiting his boyhood home in Gary, Indiana or the Motown Musuem in Detroit, where many fans are gathering today. If you're on the West Coast, you can hang out with the throngs of fans and media at the UCLA Medical Center in West Los Angeles where Jackson was taken after suffering cardiac arrest or visit his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Or you could just go out tonight as usual and drink with your friends. But even if you aren't much of a dancer, when "Billie Jean" or "The Way You Make Me Feel" comes on through the stereo, you better pay your respects to MJ on the dance floor.
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If the thought of never seeing Michael Jackson grab his junk and shout “woo-hoo” again makes you a little sad, cheer up friend. A new musical, "Thriller Live", opens in London this week and is based on the legend of Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five.
Unlike "Mamma Mia", based on the hits of Abba, there is no plot or dialogue, just dance numbers strung together and performed to MJ’s biggest hits like Beat It, Rock With You, Billie Jean, PYT, and of course, Thriller. Eight actors portray Jackson at different stages in his career while a video screen behind them flashes fun facts like "The 'Thriller' album was at No. 1 for 37 weeks!"
While Broadway is struggling through poor ticket sales and closing productions, the West End has held steady. And producers seem confident that nostalgia for a simpler time, before MJ faced child abuse allegations and had too much plastic surgery, will draw crowds to "Thriller Live" too.
This is not the first time the show has hit the stage. In 1997, "Thriller Live" toured around the U.K. to mixed reviews but eventually built up enough buzz to lead to a couple tours through Europe. "Thriller Live" opens at The Lyric Theater on January 21st and runs through April. Ticket prices range from £23.50 to £50.50.
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· Micael Jackson:The Musical [WSJ]
· Official Site [Thriller Live]
[Photo: Exposay]]]>