The King of Pop lives on... in Kenny Wizz! 

A tribute to the legacy of a true legend Michael Jackson took stage at the BMICH on the 29th of May 2016. Walking into the auditorium packed with MJ fans, I was overwhelmed by the sense of massive anticipation. The crowd waited anxiously to see how this performer Kenny Wizz, known as ‘the No 1 impersonator of MJ’, would take on the challenging task of performing the Michael Jackson act. 

 

The very first film Michael Jackson appeared in was a musical called The Wiz. How beautifully ironic that years down the line a certain Kenny Wizz would be responsible for carrying the legacy of the legend that is the King of Pop. 

In a blackened auditorium, bright coloured words pierced through the screen - slides defining history. There was smoke, then a flood of light and there he stood: surreal, posed, perfect. From the opening song, ‘Bad’ people knew this was it! 

 

An incredibly talented band and four backup dancers, accompanied Kenny Wizz, who performed with gravity-defying moves and incomparable singing… one hit after the next. In a literal trip down memory lane, costumes changed with every song, featuring the evolution of Michael Jackson’s distinct styles and his unique moves. 

 

The flag of Sri Lanka was brought on stage by one of the dancers and was being waved around for the song ‘All I want to say’. ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ was performed with a sassy red dressed hottie strutting up and down the stage with some hip swinging moves. ‘Beat it’, ‘Don’t stop till you get enough’, ‘Just enjoy yourself’ were also among the top favourites he performed. The audience joined in to sing ‘Heal the world’ with the lights on their mobiles switched on and waving their hands from side to side. It was a beautiful sight. When he ripped his T-shirt and falls flat for ‘Man in the Mirror’ it was ecstatic. ‘Thriller’ was also one fabulous performance. ‘Black or White’ was sensational. Wizz ran in from the rear end of the auditorium and stood on a seat and was waving to the people who had come right to the front of the balcony and was quite frantic by that time. Through many of his songs he moved around the audience shaking hands and dancing with the little children. 

‘Ben’ which Wizz said was his favourite, and songs in the likes of ‘ABC123’ and the duet ‘I’ll be there’ which he sang with a blonde lady from his band, evoked pleasant nostalgia in the crowd. 

As he started on ‘She’s out of my life’ he stepped down from the stage walked up to the front row of seats, and to the sheer envy of most of the other ladies present, gently took the hand of Rashmi Ukwatte, who was seated in the front row. Looking directly into her eyes, he continued to sing the rest of the song. Although quite flabbergasted, Rashmi responded well to the innocent gesture and sang along with Wizz while the audience was going quite crazy. 

Kenny Wizz reawakens the exuberance of Jackson’s songs so effectively that, as far as the audience is concerned, it actually IS Michael Jackson up on stage. It was indeed infectious, experiencing a crowd so delirious with adoration. Virtually every song was a well-known, much loved hit single conveyed in all their former splendour, each better than the last. Wizz definitely is not just a musician. He is one who falls into the categories of artist, performer and entertainer. 

Wizz isn’t a mere impersonator. To someone who has never had the chance of witnessing the real thing, Kenny Wizz is an astounding, pitch perfect tribute, and is as close as you can get to the real thing. His interaction with the audience was what touched me the most. It was astounding. All in all it was a fabulous show… PURE ONSTAGE MAGIC! 

---

The Daily Mirror Life spoke to a few people in the audience to get their views on the show. 

Ranil de Silva 

It was a very enjoyable evening. His performance was amazing. Everything he did was very good. Venue was not the ideal because we couldn’t get up and move. Overall it was an excellent show. 

Rashmi Ukwatte 

Fabulous entertainer but the venue is really bad. If it was an outdoor event all these Michael Jackson fans would have thoroughly enjoyed it. With the table and all that in front of the seats it’s like a conference, we couldn’t really move. 

Ramzi Rahaman 

It was fabulous. His stamina is unbelievable. I really admire that. The changes are so fast. People think that impersonators are not up to the mark and the show won’t be good, but I think they should take a chance and come and see. His performance was super. He looks great! 

Rozanna Warnakulasuriya 

It was such a tribute to Michael Jackson. It was like seeing him alive. We never had the opportunity to go for one of his shows. So this is absolutely awesome and I’m so glad I came. 

Chalana Gajabahu 

There is only one Michael Jackson, but Kenny Wizz’s performance was brilliant. He did justice to MJ’s legacy. I didn’t expect it to be this good. Absolutely amazing experience. Excellent show. 

Clifford Richards 

The show was fabulous. Very entertaining. The very quick costume changes were unbelievable. Super choreography as well. Thank you Kenny you really brought alive the magic of MJ on stage. Congrats DK promotions for bringing down such an entertainer. 

Shontal John 

The show is fantastic. The dancing is super. This is the closest we are going to get to Michael Jackson so it’s great. We are having a super time. ‘Ben’ was my favourite. 

Fazana Ibrahim 

Didn’t expect it to be this good. It’s amazing. If we didn’t know that Michael Jackson was dead, we would think this was really him. You can’t say the difference. I was waiting for Black or White. That was smashing. 

Silhan Rahaman 

One of the best imitations I’ve ever seen. He did justice to Black or White. No one could have done it better than that. One of the best shows I’ve been to. Very enjoyable. I hope we have more shows like this in the future. 

Damayantha Kuruppu (producer of the show) 

A friend in the USA suggested I do a show with Kenny Wizz. As I was not so sure about him I went to Singapore and met Kenny. After I had seen him with the makeup and his dance acts, only then did I decide to do the show. Unfortunately due to the prevailing bad weather we’ve been having, some outstation people were unable to come. This cap I’m wearing was given to me by Michael Jackson in 1996 when I was seated in the front seats of his show when he was performing in Singapore. 

Marcus 

It’s really nice to see a show like this in Colombo. Wizz is from Las Vegas. You can tell cos he’s very professional and brings it on when he’s on stage. Would have been better if we could have danced. But anyway we enjoyed it very much. 

Udeni Weerawardene 

Fantastic show. I didn’t expect it to be so good. I’ve always been a great fan of Michael Jackson. This was amazing. My favourites were Bad and Billy Jean. 

Buwanika Pieris 

Awesome show. I really loved it. The dancing was fantastic. I’m an MJ fan so I enjoyed all the songs. 

Reviewed by Niro Waidyaratne 

Photographs by Nisal Baduge