At Staples Center Wednesday night, the performer did a full run-through of his planned comeback concert. He and his company -- dancers, musicians, singers, aerial performers, choreographers and costumers -- planned to fly to England early next week for final dress rehearsals at London's O2 Arena, the site of the pop superstar's 50-night sold-out run.
By lunchtime Thursday, Jackson was in cardiac arrest. But in Staples Center's spotlight, he was in high spirits and totally engaged, according to a number of his collaborators. Energetic, optimistic and focused, Jackson gave no indication of what was to come, they said.
The show's director, Kenny Ortega -- a journeyman choreographer and movie director whose career highlights include “High School Musical," the “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" and “Dirty Dancing" -- began work with Jackson on the intricate staging four months ago. On Thursday, Ortega recalled Jackson as bursting with enthusiasm and personally invested in the production's most minute details.
“There were a couple of times when Michael stood at my side and we looked at the stage together and were just beaming with gladness that we had arrived at this place," Ortega said. “And he was happy. We all felt that and shared that. We were four or five days from finishing in Los Angeles and heading to London and feeling in really good shape."
Ortega said he had no knowledge of the singer taking any drugs or medication. He also denied that the slender performer had physically overextended himself by working out four hours a day, six days a week in preparation for the physically taxing concerts.
“He was dancing, training, working every day with our choreographer Travis [Payne]," Ortega said. “Michael has always been slight. That was his fighting weight. He was getting rest time, coming in and working with the band, guiding the singers, working on orchestrations. He was enthusiastically involved in every creative aspect of this production."
Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, the concert promoter that will forfeit the more than $20 million it put into staging Jackson's comeback, was also among those at Staples Center on Wednesday. He recalled Jackson being in ebullient spirits.
“It was fantastic, he was so great. I got goose bumps," Phillips said. “It made me realize why I got into this business.
