Posted under mtv
When he died, Michael Jackson was in the midst of rehearsals for his planned 50-date residency at the O2 Arena in London. The show, which production company AEG reportedly spent $30 million developing, was set to be a massive spectacle. According to reports, the concerts were going to include 20-foot-tall puppets, pyrotechnics, giant spiders and a flaming bed. AEG hired Kenny Ortega — the director behind the “High School Musical” movies and the cult classic “Newsies” — to oversee the production, which was also going to include an army of dancers, side musicians and effects specialists to handle the visual tricks. Photos from the rehearsal, taken on May 6, show Ortega working with Jackson and a group of dancers on the show. Jackson is also standing behind a camera, as AEG was filming the pre-production process that will likely be turned into a final concert film and album memorializing Jackson.