Thriller Live show brings Michael Jackson back to life

Michael Jackson might have left us, but his spirit and music live on. Showing at Parisian Macao’s new Parisian Theatre until November 13, Thriller Live is a theatrical 90-minute concert dedicated to the legendary entertainer, taking audiences on a journey through his astonishing musical legacy. 

Among the artists performing Jackson’s timeless songs and signature dance moves, Cleo Higgins is the only female singer in the show. As the lead singer of 1990s R&B pop sensation Cleopatra and a regular on top TV shows, she stuns the crowds with her interpretation of songs such as The Way You Make Me Feel. 

Macau marks Higgins’s last stop in Thriller Live before she makes her solo debut. Next time you see this talented performer, she is likely to be singing her own songs.

“It is my first time to be in Macau,” she says. “I did not know this place existed. It feels like a fantasy island. This is also my first time doing Thriller Live in Asia. I feel so excited as I love travelling. I have been singing since I was nine years old. My sister and I travelled pretty much everywhere around the world, but we never got to China so I feel really honoured. 

“It takes a lot to get into this show. I auditioned for it three times. Michael Jackson has been my biggest inspiration since I was a baby. Because Michael inspired me so much, I have a way of sounding like him without realising it. Every ounce of his music reaches through to me.

“I think Michael has so many different aspects to his personality as an artist. There is no one person who could define who Michael was. The show gives you three male singers and one female. Michael was sexy, so I bring a bit of sass. I bring another side of Michael who had finesse that a lot of men cannot sit with. So I think it makes sense to have a woman in the show.

“The challenges for me are hitting those top notes. But doing it for eight shows a week is really hard. I am glad that we have so many spas here. It is a necessity for my voice. We have to sing every single night, for me that is the biggest challenge. It is a very intense show physically. The singers are doing a lot of dancing routines and sometimes I feel like I’ve got two left feet. I would never deem myself as a dancer but I dance in this show. 

“The beauty of Thriller Live is that we are not trying to be Michael, but we have got a group of people that are a little bit of Michael himself. I would like to bring Michael to the audiences and that is what our show is about. His music lives on so strongly within us all. If we can perform it the way that he intended, we have done our job.

“My only worry was that the audiences would not understand the performance that we are giving, but we have not had that yet. We have been really blessed. I think that everyone that I have known, who has come to see this show, loves Michael, loves the performance and loves the music. So we end the show with a lot of wonderful comments and we are happy.