Jackson was energetic, upbeat ahead of London

LOS ANGELES – The King of Pop seemed driven and upbeat in the weeks, even hours, before his death as he rehearsed rigourously for a series of 50 concerts in London.

Friends and colleagues said that Michael Jackson appeared in recent months to be rejuvenated by the prospect of performing again.After years of seclusion following a child sex scandal, the pop icon was heavily involved in all aspects of the concert rehearsals. He had hired a personal trainer and was practising with backup dancers and choreographers several hours a day, they said.’He was working hard, setting the example, overseeing the choreography, kicking butt and taking names,’ said Johnny Caswell, president of CenterStaging Musical Productions Inc, a Burbank sound stage where Jackson rehearsed until late May. ‘He was ready to blow everybody out of the water. This was going to be the biggest extravaganza, entertainment spectacle ever.’Jackson was involved in all areas of planning, including watching auditions and choosing the backup dancers who would appear with him, said Maryss Courchinoux, a 29-year-old dancer from Paris who sought a place on stage with Jackson.Courchinoux said she had been selected as a backup dancer for the London concerts and had been fitted for a costume. She had been invited to Thursday’s rehearsal in Los Angeles to meet Jackson and watch the practice to help prepare for her role, she said.On the same day, Jackson was pronounced dead after collapsing at his home in Holmby Hills, a swanky neighbourhood near Bel Air.Rehearsals for the tour began in late March, Caswell said.Jackson and his choreographers, band and dancers took over about four of the 11 studios at Centerstaging. Jackson would wander in and out of the studios, keeping tabs on the work and would often sit on a large black leather couch and listen to the band practice.He frequently offered band members suggestions and took an interest in the mixing levels for the concert’s soundtrack, according to those who worked with him at the sound stage.They spoke on condition of anonymity because they had signed confidentiality agreements.Max Miller, a dispatch manager at the studios, said he saw the singer work on a transition routine between two songs.Miller’s team aimed a spotlight at the stage area as Jackson, wearing a black suit, practised the moves with no music and just a metronome clicking.’He was totally dancing like top-notch. He seemed totally good,’ Miller said. ‘He seemed totally cool and really focused.’As focused as energised as he was in Burbank, Jackson seemed even more excited about his comeback as the concert date approached.He recently moved his rehearsals to The Forum, the Los Angeles Lakers’ former arena in Inglewood, and ultimately to the Staples Centre, where he was rehearsing daily, sometimes for hours.Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of Grammy Awards, said he met Jackson there last Wednesday for a business meeting and spoke to him for about 20 minutes before Jackson invited him to watch him rehearse.Ehrlich, who has known Jackson for years, said he was amazed by the singer’s vitality and focus as he practised moves with backup dancers and a handful of choreographers.The choreographers walked him through moves and gave him stage directions. They also introduced him to some new props and appeared to be working with Jackson to incorporate them into the show.’Michael was digesting it all. He was learning, but even with that, there were times during the songs where his singing was full out,’ Ehrlich said. ‘I would watch him move across the floor like the Michael of old. I was convinced (the comeback) was going to be the Michael of old.’Ehrlich said he left after watching Jackson work through five or six numbers, but got chills from watching him – a memory that seems especially precious now. The star showed no signs that he would die less than 24 hours later, he said.’There was this one moment, he was moving across the stage and he was doing these trademark Michael moves, and I know I got this big grin on my face, and I started thinking to myself, ‘You know, it’s been years since I’ve seen that,” he said.’There was that Michael that was just like no one else and no one else could touch,’ he said. ‘The shame is that new generation won’t see that – but we all came close to being able to see it again.’ – Nampa-AP

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