Behind the Costumes of MJ The Musical: How Christine Meyers Helps Bring Michael Jackson's Legacy to Life

"Honestly, from a costume designer standpoint, it scratched an itch," says Christine Meyers, the associate global costume designer for MJ The Musical. She began working with the show's costume designer, two-time Tony winner Paul Tazewell back in 2017, during workshops for the Broadway production. Having previously worked with Tazewell on other productions over the years—including Ain't Too Proud—Meyers says her involvement with MJ was solidified once it became clear that the show was coming to Broadway. "We really started working on it in earnest."

Designing costumes for a new piece is always an exciting challenge, and even more so when it's based on a real person's life. Meyers and Tazewell used archival material like photos, music videos and more as a basis for their deep dive into the performer's looks. "There was a lot of research that went into it. Because the show was still being developed, we researched aspects of Michael Jackson's life that never became a part of the show," she reveals. "But at the time it was considered that it might be useful. We would spend a lot of time gathering images, listening to the music, doing deep dives into music videos. The Jacksons did a lot of music videos, so we had an opportunity to learn a lot about Michael's life."

The production starts with Jackson as a young child and follows him through different decades of his life. The variety of styles and years of fashion trends the designers got to play with allowed them to exercise creativity in a way that never felt restrictive. "In some shows you're doing all fantasy. In some shows you're doing military wear, that's another thing you cannot mess up. This was a mix of everything," Meyers explains.

"So we really got to be like, 'Okay, I can't handle doing this aspect any more right now. I'm tapped out. Let me move on and work on a different aspect for a little bit.' It refreshes you, and you're able to go back and be creative in a new way in other aspects." Meyers appreciates that they were able to "get into the crazy fashion niches that were a part of those decades, and find the best way of portraying them on stage. There were some really, really fun ones to just have a blast with."

With five companies running across the world, Meyers' job responsibilities are "very eclectic." Each of the productions is in a different stage of life, meaning cast turnovers happen at different times, which determines each company's various needs. "The different locations that they are in have different abilities to find and adapt the things that they need," she adds. Luckily, she loves to travel. "As a costume designer, being able to work globally is a dream. You have an opportunity to have dialogues with people that have different sensibilities and it really expands your costume knowledge, which is amazing."

The job continues to surprise and educate Meyers, even years in. "What I learned about Michael Jackson's legacy and what he means to Black Americans, it's an incredibly important lesson for me to have learned," she reflects. "Being able to see the different ways that he has influenced not only music in America, but worldwide, and the culture and the strides he made."

Of her career, she says, "I have always felt incredibly lucky that I just stumbled into it." Her advice to aspiring costume designers is simple: Be curious. "Show up, talk to me, ask questions," she encourages. "There's a lot of feeling that working in the arts is dangerous in some way, that it's uncertain work. And I really like to assure people that it actually is kind of steady and boring sometimes, in a beautiful way. I think that it's a big deterrent for a lot of younger people looking at the arts and being like, 'Well, I can't do that. What if I don't make it?' It's a job like anything else. You have to show up, you have to do the work and you get a lot out of it."

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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