Five Inside MJ The Musical: How Dontee Kiehn Powers the Show's Global Success

"I have the best job in the world," says Dontee Kiehn, the Global Associate Director of MJ The Musical. It's a dynamic, on-the-ground role with responsibilities that change from day to day and run the gamut from creative coaching to casting and meeting with stage managers. The scope of the job keeps every moment exciting for Kiehn, who interfaces with the five running companies of MJ all over the world. "I love the range of artists I get to work with," she says. "We have wonderful new artists that come into our fold."

Kiehn had worked with MJ's director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon for years on different projects, and calls it "the greatest partnership." She recalls her first introduction to MJ, at breakfast with Wheeldon in Japan back in 2018. "We were both wonderfully thrilled, excited, nervous and aware of the high bar that we wanted to bring and deliver to this amazing enterprise."

There was a certain amount of pressure to find a focus for the project, a way in that would satisfy fans of the entertainer and do justice to his renowned songbook. "There's a respect and certainly an acknowledgement that the fans are going to require something. We wanted to make something very artful," she explains of the direction taken by Wheeldon and book writer Lynn Nottage. "It can get very daunting when you're working with an estate and there's all kinds of responsibilities to that. But I think what our team does so beautifully is center it within the art and telling a very human story."

The team worked for years to develop MJ through many workshops and readings. Orchestrations, arrangements and musical supervision are by David Holcenberg, and Kiehn credits him for doing a beautiful job using music to tell the story. It was during the first workshop, "where we saw the piece come together and we saw how the songs were utilized," that the creatives first sensed how big the musical could become. "When the dance and the energy and the storytelling all came together, it had this beautiful alchemy. So many things that we did for that workshop still exist in the show today. I felt like we were really onto something in that moment."

Seeing the show you've worked on being received by an audience for the first time is nerve-wracking, Kiehn concedes, but there's nothing more useful or telling. "You always want to have good feedback, of course. But there's a work mentality that kicks in and an editing opportunity, and you get this incredible reciprocity with an audience and their response," she explains. "That's where you really see what you have and you're able to modulate and pivot and discover or have epiphanies about where to go next." By opening night, the team was "fairly confident," and their hard work paid off with the "glorious impact."

Four years in, Kiehn believes the show's longevity can't be traced to just one factor. "MJ satisfies on so many different levels. I think it is wildly entertaining. The show is constructed, if I dare say so, very well. I think the artists in the audience see themselves in the show, and the construction and the craft, the performances, the amazing talent. It looks behind the scenes in a way that is brave to do, and still gives you this incredible songbook and these incredible numbers of this iconic artist."

In bringing the show to global markets and adapting the material for stages across different countries and cities, it's important for Kiehn that the response is consistent. "I'm proud that this show still hits in the same way in each place and provides what is desired for those audiences," she says. In addition to Broadway, the production is currently on its first national tour across the U.S. and Canada, and playing in London's West End; Hamburg, Germany; and Melbourne, Australia. MJ will embark on international Asian and U.K. tours in 2027.

Reflecting on her specific journey and sharing advice for the next generation of creators, Kiehn says: "There's no real school for this. You just take your opportunities and create your own mosaic of experience. There's so many routes into utilizing your talents and where that might take you if you stay open to it. Stay curious and be brave [as you] step into each new stage."

The Broadway Show's new Five Inside series highlights the individuals who help bring Broadway's long-running shows to life, both onstage and off.

GET TO KNOW THE MJ FAMILY
The Star: Matte Martinez | The Debut: Samuel Nelson III | The Long-Runner: Apollo Levine | The Creative Engine: Global Associate Director Dontee Kiehn | The Backstage MVP: Global Associate Costume Designer Christine Meyers

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