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    Michael Jackson Musical Turns Down Volume on Abuse Allegations

    The Broadway musical, “MJ,” with a book by Lynn Nottage and directed by Christopher Wheeldon, began previews Monday.A biographical Michael Jackson musical began previews on Broadway this week with a big budget, a huge fan base, and a looming question: How would the show grapple with allegations that the pop singer molested children?The answer: It doesn’t.The musical, for which Jackson’s estate is one of the lead producers, is set in 1992, the year before the singer was first publicly accused of abuse.The show, titled “MJ,” depicts Jackson at the top of his game — the King of Pop, with astonishing gifts as a singer and dancer — but also suggests that he was facing financial woes (mortgaging Neverland), was overly reliant on painkillers (he was prescribed Demerol after he was burned while filming a Pepsi ad), had considerable emotional baggage from his upbringing (his father is shown hitting him), and was besieged by reporters fixated on everything but his artistry (remember Bubbles, his pet chimpanzee?).The show, with a book by the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, and direction by the acclaimed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, has a long preview period ahead: it isn’t scheduled to open until Feb. 1, and the creative team can continue to revise and refine the show until then.But Monday night’s sold-out first preview offered a glimpse of the show’s structure, and indicated that the team has opted to stick to its initial plan, hatched years ago, to focus on Jackson’s genius, and to showcase his hit-rich song catalog. The musical takes place over two days inside a Los Angeles rehearsal studio, where a driven Jackson is in the final stages of rehearsing for his “Dangerous” world tour.The show, capitalized for up to $22.5 million, offers context for Jackson’s creative choices through flashbacks to earlier chapters of his career, most of them prompted by questions from a documentary filmmaker who says she wants to observe Jackson’s process but turns out to be more interested in signs of trouble.Flashbacks to earlier chapters of Jackson’s career are prompted by questions from a documentary filmmaker played by Whitney Bashor, shown with Frost.Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesThe musical was announced in the spring of 2018, with a projected arrival on Broadway in 2020. But seven months later, a documentary called “Leaving Neverland” premiered at Sundance, bringing renewed attention to allegations, denied by Jackson when he was alive and by his estate since his death, that Jackson had sexually abused children. (The men featured in the documentary declined, through a spokesman, to comment on the musical.)Shortly after the documentary was first aired, the production canceled a planned pre-Broadway run in Chicago, citing labor woes, and later the musical’s name was changed, from a potentially problematic “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” to the simpler “MJ.” When the Chicago run was scrapped, the producing team, led by Lia Vollack, announced a plan to bring it to Broadway in the summer of 2020, but then the coronavirus pandemic shut down Broadway. So the show is just getting underway now.In an interview in April 2019, a month after HBO released the documentary, Nottage and Wheeldon said they remained committed to the project, but were still processing their reactions to the documentary. Neither would say whether they believed Jackson was a child molester, and both said they did not see adjudicating that question as their role.“This is obviously challenging — it makes this not without its complications, for sure — but part of what we do as artists is we respond to complexity,” Wheeldon said. He added: “We’re sensitive to what’s going on and we’ll see whether it works into the show or not. But the primary focus of our show has always been focusing on Michael’s creative process.”Nottage said she aspired to craft “a musical that everyone can come to, regardless of how they feel about Michael Jackson.”“I see the artwork that we’re making as a way to more deeply understand Michael Jackson and process feelings,” she said, “and ultimately that’s what theater can do.”On Tuesday, asked about the show’s narrative choices, Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the musical, noted that Jackson remains “a global cultural icon,” and said, “The producers hope the work, performance, and storytelling of the show’s talented Broadway creators, who have collaborated on this production since 2016, will make a valuable contribution to the continuing examination of the artistry, creativity and music of one of the most controversial and consequential artists of the modern era.”The musical, which currently features a whopping 37 songs (some performed in their entirety, and others as excerpts), has one reference to concerns about Jackson’s closeness to children, when one of the singer’s managers asks another employee “Who the hell is this family he wants to bring on tour?”And then, during a news conference, as reporters pelt Jackson with questions about his surgeries, his skin color, and so on, one asks “What do you have to say about the recent allegations that you —” without finishing the thought.The packed house — in the Neil Simon Theater, which seats 1,445 people — was rapturous, with audience members leaping to their feet after “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” and “Thriller” and loudly cheering for familiar songs as well as costume elements (the glove!).Some ticketholders were dressed in outfits made famous by Jackson — there were more than a few “Thriller” cosplayers — or in Jackson concert T-shirts; as the show ended, a toddler danced ecstatically in the orchestra aisle. Miramontez said the attendees came from as far as Hawaii, Croatia and parts of Asia to see the show.“I’ve loved Michael Jackson since I was a little girl — his music has always been so inspirational,” said Jerrell Sablan, a 38-year-old from Jersey City, who wore a shirtdress she had fashioned out of a 4XL men’s T-shirt featuring images of Jackson at various stages of his career.Her husband, Will Griffith, 43, was in a full-body candy-apple-red “Thriller” costume. “Like her, I grew up with the music. She saw one of the first ads on the subway, and we went home that day and bought tickets.” What about Jackson’s tarnished reputation? “I mean, it’s not great,” Griffith said. “But I can separate his music from the allegations.” More

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    ‘Cusp’ Review: Teenage Girls, Stuck With Shrugging Off Harm

    What starts as a documentary about three Texan high schoolers becomes a look at the normalization of sexual abuse.Directed by Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill, the verité-style documentary “Cusp” follows three Texan teenage girls on summer vacation. The group of friends, Brittney, Aaloni, and Autumn, ages 15 to 16, live a seemingly carefree existence. But as we partake in the girls’ shenanigans — house parties, back seat gossiping, bedroom intimacies — their recurring testimonies about sexual trauma and consent stand out.A portrait of modern girlhood, this documentary ultimately becomes a bleak look at the normalization of sexual abuse among the very victimized young women.The film begins on a disturbing note: Two girls laze around on a tire swing as a boy nonchalantly approaches with a rifle slung over his shoulder. Though the location in Texas is unspecified, grassy flatlands, gravel roads and isolated bungalows suggest these are rural, working-class parts. (Press materials say the filmmakers, based in New York, met the girls on a road trip a few summers ago.)Brittney, who wears contoured makeup that adds years to her appearance, discusses her daily drinking and partying with a grin and shrug. Aaloni worships her freewheeling mother and loathes her chauvinistic father, who is never captured on camera. Autumn suffers a bad breakup, which sends her spiraling into reckless party mode. She even gets her nipple pierced by Aaloni, the one moment in the film not centered on boys and trauma.Either in voice-over or in discussions caught on camera, the girls speak candidly to their experiences with rape or sexual abuse and the regularity with which they are approached by older men who initially feign concern about their status as minors. Their hyper-awareness of these dynamics feels all the more tragic when one of them begins dating a controlling adult man.The film ends on a hopeful note, which feels contrived given the bottom line: that the cyclical nature of sexual abuse is resilient and yet unbroken.CuspNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. In theaters currently. On Showtime beginning Nov. 26. More

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    Drake Bell Given Two Years of Probation in Child Endangerment Case

    The former star of the Nickelodeon series “Drake & Josh” had pleaded guilty to two charges related to a girl he met online. She attended one of his concerts in 2017.Jared Drake Bell, a former star of the Nickelodeon series “Drake & Josh,” was sentenced on Monday to two years of probation after pleading guilty to two charges against him relating to a girl he had met online and who attended one of his concerts in Cleveland in 2017. More

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    Former Disney Star Kyle Massey Charged With Sending Explicit Messages to a Minor

    Mr. Massey, 29, who starred in “That’s So Raven,” faces a felony charge in connection with accusations that he sent a 13-year-old girl pornographic Snapchat messages.Kyle Massey, a former Disney Channel star best known for his role as Raven-Symoné’s little brother on “That’s So Raven,” has been charged with a felony in Washington State after prosecutors say he sent pornographic messages to a 13-year-old girl in 2018 and 2019.Mr. Massey, 29, was charged on June 14 with one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes after sending explicit messages, images and videos to the girl via Snapchat from December 2018 to January 2019, according to King County prosecutors.The felony charge stems from accusations made in a lawsuit filed in 2019 against Mr. Massey for $1.5 million by the girl’s mother. This suit was eventually dropped when the girl’s lawyers determined that Mr. Massey did not have enough money for it to make financial sense to pursue the case, according to prosecutors. In 2019, Mr. Massey denied the allegations in the suit, according to a statement obtained by People magazine.In February, the girl’s mother notified the King County Sheriff’s Office that Mr. Massey was sending explicit material to her daughter knowing that she was underage, according to court documents. Prosecutors say that Mr. Massey first met the girl when she was 4 years old, and that in their correspondence during 2018 and 2019 the girl disclosed that she would be in the eighth grade once she went back to school. Mr. Massey was 27 at the time.The mother provided Detective Daniel W. Arvidson of the King County Sheriff’s Office with a thumb drive that she said contained explicit videos and photos sent by Mr. Massey. According to the detective’s written statement, one of the videos on the drive shows a man who looks like Mr. Massey exposing himself to the camera. The girl’s mother also told the police that around the time Mr. Massey started sending the explicit content, he asked the mother if she could send the girl to stay with Mr. Massey and his girlfriend in Los Angeles.Lee A. Hutton III, a lawyer for Mr. Massey, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Mr. Hutton told TMZ that his client became aware of the charges through the media on Tuesday.Mr. Massey played Cory Baxter on all four seasons of “That’s So Raven,” beginning in 2003. He then starred in a spinoff series called “Cory in the House” in 2007.Mr. Massey failed to show up to his arraignment on Monday. A new arraignment date was set for July 12, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. More

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    Drake Bell Pleads Guilty to Attempted Child Endangerment

    Mr. Bell, a former star of the Nickelodeon series “Drake & Josh,” faces up to two years in prison.Jared Drake Bell, a former star of the Nickelodeon series “Drake & Josh,” faces up to two years in prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday to two charges against him relating to a girl who met him online and attended one of his concerts in Cleveland in 2017.Mr. Bell, 34, who was charged earlier this month with attempted child endangerment, a felony, and disseminating material harmful to children, a misdemeanor, agreed to a plea deal at a virtual court hearing on Wednesday. He had initially pleaded not guilty to both charges.Mr. Bell’s lawyer, Ian N. Friedman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.The sentencing range is probation to two years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 12.According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident at a concert in Cleveland on Dec. 1, 2017. Mr. Bell, who is also known as Drake Campana, had posted a tweet saying that he had a show scheduled at the Odeon Concert Club there on that date.Prosecutors said that Mr. Bell engaged in a conversation with a 15-year-old girl that was at times sexual in nature. An investigation by the Cleveland Police Department also revealed that Mr. Bell had sent the girl inappropriate social media messages in the months before the show, the prosecutors said.The judge told Mr. Bell that if he did serve time in prison, his activities could be restricted for up to three years after his release.“Drake & Josh,” a young adult sitcom, aired for four seasons on Nickelodeon from 2004 to 2007. Mr. Bell played one half of a pair of stepbrothers (the other was played by Josh Peck) who lived together despite having opposite personalities.In the years since, Mr. Bell has started a music career and toured in support of several albums. More

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    Drake Bell Charged With Attempted Child Endangerment

    Mr. Bell, who starred in the Nickelodeon series “Drake & Josh” from 2004 to 2007, has pleaded not guilty.Jared Drake Bell, a former star of the Nickelodeon sitcom “Drake & Josh,” was charged in Cleveland with attempted child endangerment and disseminating material harmful to children.Mr. Bell, 34, pleaded not guilty to both charges in Cuyahoga County Court on Thursday. He was released after posting a $2,500 bond and agreeing to not have contact with the alleged victim.He was indicted by a grand jury on May 21.According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident at a concert in Cleveland on Dec. 1, 2017. Mr. Bell, who also goes by Drake Campana, had tweeted that he had a show scheduled at the Odeon Concert Club there on that date.Prosecutors said that Mr. Bell engaged in a conversation with a 15-year-old girl that was at times sexual in nature. An investigation by the Cleveland Police Department also revealed that Mr. Bell had sent the girl inappropriate social media messages in the months before the show, the prosecutors said.According to prosecutors, Mr. Bell “violated his duty of care” at the concert and, “in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim.” A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, Tyler Sinclair, did not say why Mr. Bell had only just now been indicted.In a brief statement on Friday, Ian N. Friedman, a lawyer representing Mr. Bell, declined to address specific questions. “All facts will be revealed in the courtroom,” he said.The felony child endangerment charge carries a sentence of up to 18 months in prison, with a minimum sentence of six months, and up to a $5,000 fine. The second charge, a misdemeanor, is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.A pretrial video hearing for Mr. Bell has been scheduled for June 23.“Drake & Josh,” a young adult sitcom, aired for four seasons on Nickelodeon from 2004 to 2007. Mr. Bell played one half of a pair of stepbrothers (the other was played by Josh Peck) who lived together despite having opposite personalities.In the years since, Mr. Bell, who now goes by Drake Campana, has launched a music career and toured in support of several albums. More

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    ‘Broken Harts’ Review: Examining a Family Tragedy

    This bland true-crime documentary tells the story of the Hart family, in which two mothers hid the neglect and abuse of their six children behind an idyllic facade.The shallow documentary “Broken Harts” examines a tragic crime: In March, 2018, the Washington couple Jennifer and Sarah Hart killed their six adopted children by driving off a California cliff. At first, authorities assumed the car crash was an accident. Further investigation revealed that the women had been abusing their children, and had premeditated the plunge as an act of family annihilation.Based on a podcast by Glamour, “Broken Harts” (streaming on Discovery+) unfolds as a patchwork of true-crime clichés. After opening with a montage of sinister sound bites, the movie delves into the crash and the revelations that occurred in the days and weeks following. The details are juicy enough, but as the story continues, the investigation timeline starts to feel like superficial framing for the story.More compelling — and more challenging — are the racial and economic factors underpinning the tragedy. Jennifer and Sarah, both white, adopted the six children of color. The two went on to use social media and community platforms to curate a picture of harmony, vitality and bliss. The women’s posturing was calculated: Their idyllic facade concealed a pattern of neglect and abuse occurring behind closed doors.The movie, directed by Gregory Palmer, finds its footing in interviews with the journalist Zaron Burnett. He discusses how the Harts sold an image of white saviorism, and then he expands their story to highlight the systems that enabled their behavior. Burnett’s analysis is sharp, and his words leave a possibility hanging in the air — that with a bolder and broader framework, “Broken Harts” might have been more than fast food for true-crime obsessives.Broken HartsNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes. Watch on Discovery+. More

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    ‘Groomed’ Review: Confronting Patterns of Abuse

    In this distressing documentary, a filmmaker confronts her own lingering trauma as she explores how perpetrators prime victims for abuse.Gwen van de Pas was a preteen swimmer in Holland when she met the man who would become her assistant swim team instructor, her caring confidante and soon after, her sexual abuser. Now a filmmaker living in San Francisco, van de Pas explores the traumatic experience in the documentary “Groomed.”The film (streaming on Discovery+), which van de Pas directed, has a strong pedagogic drive, laying out the steps perpetrators often take to “groom” victims — target, befriend and prime them — for sexual abuse. Van de Pas calls on experts, psychologists and a convicted sex offender for interviews, but the most illuminating examples come from her own story. In one harrowing sequence, she returns to her childhood bedroom to find the fawning letters her abuser wrote to her, and rereads them with an adult’s eye.As the film lays bare the intricacies of grooming, van de Pas chronicles her personal journey toward closure. In interviews, she recalls how she blocked out troubling memories for years, until the encounters began appearing in her dreams. She meditates on the meaning of justice and explores her hesitancy to report the abuse. Cathartic conversations with family members and other survivors lend comfort and clarity.Much of “Groomed” was filmed with a crew, and the subjects often appear in soft focus and cool hues. But the most affecting scenes clearly arose too suddenly for a production team. Early one morning, van de Pas calls her partner on Skype to relay upsetting news. She weeps in bed as her partner, on his way to work, sits down, stunned. The documentary is deliberate in ending on an uplifting note, but it is such intimate moments of pain that linger on.GroomedNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 22 minutes. Watch on Discovery+. More