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“Starlight Express” Musical Attendace
[Michael] goes to the Apollo Theatre, Victoria to see "Starlight Express", a futuristic musical in which dancers play the part of steam trains.
"His management rang up during the afternoon", says company manager Nick Brompton, "and asked for four tickets.
"I was a bit apprehensive about it at first, because I didn't want the show to be disrupted. But I arranged for them to come to the stage door at a particular time that evening.
"However, they turned up quite a bit earlier and it was, like, 'Michael Jackson's at the door downstairs--what should we do with him?'
"Anyway, he came up to my office and sat very quietly, looking through his program."
Nick was not quite sure what to say to Michael since he didn't know much about him ("I'm not 19"). But Michael found plenty to amuse himself.
"He particularly liked a picture on my wall", says Nick. "It shows an old Victorian gentleman. I got it for a show once and it's sort of moved around with me, office to office, ever since.
"He also talked about the production and said he'd been working or was going to work with our set designer John Napier on a short film in Disneyland."
During the interval, Michael is taken to the hospitality room backstage where he is served soft drinks by a barmaid.
"He asked me what her name was", says Nick, "and when she said, 'Caroline', he sand 'Sweet Caroline' to her! I don't think she'll forget that in a hurry."
Daily Mirror (see Image 5)
Starstruck Stephanie Lawrence's face says it all - she was thrilled to bits by a kiss from pop megastar Michael Jackson.
The smacker was Michael's way of saying thanks to the Starlight Express star after she arranged for the Jackson family to see the hit musical in London.
Shy Michael, 26, whose Thriller album has sold a phenomenal 40 million copies, went backstage at the Apollo Victoria Theatre to meet the cast. Then he told Stephanie: "Thank you. I'll never forget this night."
The 30 year old actress, who got the kiss millions of fans would give anything for, replied: "Thank you. I'll never wash this side of my face again."