The magic of Michael Jackson is recaptured in ‘Thriller Live’ which opened at the Alhambra last night.

Almost five years after the pop icon’s death, his music remains as popular as ever and this spectacular tribute celebrates his talent as songwriter and showman.

With 750 million albums sold worldwide, everybody knows the Jackson back catalogue and so there’s no room for error for the performers.

To do justice to such a giant of popular culture is no mean task but this show manages to pull that off with panache.

It not only sounds great but is given the full West End treatment to make sure it looks great as well.

Vivid back lighting, creative staging and striking costumes all set the scene for the ‘70s music of the Jackson 5, through the Studio 54 disco era of ‘Off the Wall’ to the ghoulish finale of ‘Thriller’. That album remains the biggest seller of all time with its upbeat take on deadly creatures, demons and corpses.

Last night, the Alhambra audience covered all ages from school groups to pensioners but all were on their feet well before the end responding to a cast who are energetic, engaging and highly talented.

Cleo Higgins was a child star with her sisters in Cleopatra before disappearing into obscurity. However, she returned through The Voice and here her performance was impeccable and praise must also go to lead vocalists Jesse Smith, Lascel Wood and Tyrone Lee.

In Sean Christopher the show has a performer, who uncannily looks, sounds and dances like the great man himself.

The show is crammed with killer tracks including ‘ABC’, ‘I’ll Be There’, ‘Show You the Way to Go’, ‘Blame It on the Boogie’, ‘She’s Out of My Life’, ‘Off the Wall’, ‘Rock with You’, ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, ‘Can You Feel It’, ‘P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)’, ‘Beat It’ and ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’.

There are the memorable dance routines of ‘Smooth Criminal’ and ‘Dirty Diana’ before the show recalls the humantarian hopes of Jackson through ‘Man in the Mirror’ and ‘Heal the World’.

The show steps up a gear with a superb version of ‘Billie Jean’, then grisly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom in ‘Thriller’ and the coup de grace is delivered with ‘Bad’ and ‘Black or White’. A killer musical.

*Thriller Live is at the Alhambra tonight and there are two shows tomorrow.