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ABU DHABI // Michael Jackson fans will get the chance next month to hear a medley of his hits almost two years after the pop star died.
The worldwide tour Thriller Live arrives at the 5,000-capacity FLASH Forum on Yas Island on June 9 and 10.
The show should bring back fond memories for Jackson's UAE fan base, said Shatha al Romaithi, a FLASH spokeswoman.
"This show has captured audiences around the world with its talented, energetic cast recreating Michael's amazing entertainment qualities, and we are delighted to bring this incredible musical experience to Abu Dhabi to pay tribute to Michael Jackson," she said.
"It is the first time this musical has been to Abu Dhabi and we are looking forward to fans embracing this concert-like event and remembering the times when Michael's music touched all our lives," Miss al Romaithi added.
Thriller Live was established before Jackson's death, in 2006, in London's West End. The extended version being staged at the Lyric Theatre is scheduled to run until January 2012.
When news of his death broke on June 25, 2009, fans headed to music outlets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to buy his recordings, radio stations played his music and the Le Méridien Mina Seyahi, in Dubai, held a tribute event.
The forthcoming performance lasts for two hours and features a large cast singing and dancing their way through Jackson's hits. The show includes early songs such as Can You Feel It, which the singer performed as part of The Jackson 5, to Smooth Criminal, from 1987's Bad album.
In a career that spanned four decades, Jackson sold millions of records. His 1982 album, Thriller, is believed to be the biggest-selling album of all time, having sold more than 100 million copies. Several of Jackson's other albums, including Bad and Dangerous, in 1991, have sold more than 30 million copies each.
Tickets for Thriller Live are on sale from today through www.thinkflash.ae.