Seated at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for the opening night of “MJ,” the musical based on the preparation for Michael Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour, I pretty much knew what to expect: A barrage of the pop icon’s greatest hits; a parade of memorable costumes, from the red “Thriller” jacket to the one sequined glove; and dancing featuring all of his signature moves — the moon walk, the crotch grab, the pose on toes.

What I wasn’t expecting was the through-line of a tormented perfectionist, stunted in his emotional growth by an abusive father and early career pressures, who was badly spiraling out of control and headed for an emotional collapse. While there’s plenty in this production to satisfy those just looking for a night of bright lights, vibrating music and nostalgia, thanks to a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, there’s more depth to this show than your typical biographical musical. Beneath all the glitz and glam and special effects, there lingers a bittersweet aftertaste.

The show begins as audience members are taking their seats, while dancers warm up on the set of a high-windowed rehearsal hall and a stage manager periodically announces, “Three minutes to Michael…One minute to Michael!” Then, the star of the show bursts in the door, with his familiar unbuttoned shirt, hat and white socks and we’re off to the races with a pounding “Beat It.”

For undisclosed reasons, the headliner of this touring production, Jordan Markus, was replaced opening night by Erik Hamilton which, I’ll admit, initially threw me off — not because I don’t welcome an understudy, but because Hamilton’s body type, which is shorter and huskier than Jackson’s, made something feel “off” to this longtime dance critic. It probably didn’t make a difference to the average audience member though, and once I got past the craving for a recreation of the original, it was quickly clear Hamilton had the dancing chops and the high-pitched child-like voice to capture Jackson’s persona effectively.

The set-up involves an MTV crew that, despite Jackson’s reluctance — he’s given no in-depth interviews for 14 years — have been granted access to film two days of tour preparations. Their mission provides an excuse for flashbacks to Jackson’s childhood as “the seventh of nine children in a house made for four” and the beginnings of the tyrannical reign of his father, Joseph, who built his five sons into the musical sensation known as the Jackson Five. Michael, an uber-sensitive child who, from the start, was singled out as the phenom, became the key target of his father’s demands and abuse.

Given the wide time frame, three different actors take the lead role. “Little Michael,” played by Quentin Blanton, Jr., is a picture-perfect recreation of the Michael of Jackson Five days, with his Afro, his fringed jacket and platform shoes and his prematurely mature moves. As the tension with his father grows, he seeks support from his mother, Katherine (Rajane Katurah), with whom he shares a tender duet in “I’ll Be There.”

“Michael” (Brandon Lee Harris), the “middle years” Jackson, dominates the first half of the two and half hour show, which covers the group’s signing by Motown’s Barry Gordy, their shows at the historic Apollo Theater, appearing on Ed Sullivan and ultimately his decision to break off on his own for a solo career directed by Quincy Jones (Michael Nero), who urges him in song to “Keep the Faith.”

He’s rewarded with a record-breaking eight Grammys and the audience is treated to all the favorite tunes they came for — “Bad,” “Beat It” and a recreation of the much-imitated “Thriller” video. Harris captures beautifully both the essence of Jackson’s dancing and singing talents and the angst of his ongoing dysfunctional relationship with his father. .

Meanwhile, we cut back and forth to the present, as “MJ” (Hamilton) continues to plead with his handlers for changes to the tour that are blowing the budget out of control and, under growing pressure, begins popping painkillers (a revelation inadvertently caught on tape by the MTV crew). His father’s words — “One misstep and you tumble to the bottom” — continue to haunt him, even as he insists on new extravagances for the tour, intended to raise money for his charity “Heal the World.” When his manager, Dave (Kendrick Mitchell), says the only way they can go on is if Jackson mortgages his home and Disney-like sanctuary “Neverland,” the pop star signs the papers after a scene with nightmarish projections in which he is manipulated like a marionette.

Hamilton dominated the last half of the show, running through favorites like “Billie Jean” and “Smooth Criminal,” with segues to the more pacific “Can You Feel It" and a reprise of “Keep the Faith.” There’s a wonderful look back at Jackson’s dance icons, where he joins reincarnations of Fred Astaire and the Nicholas Brothers, but there is also mounting tension, as he continues popping pills and insists the tour “has gotta be perfect.” This descends into a “Thriller” reprise in which, with plenty of special effects, the ghouls — and even his own shadow — turn on him just as he fears his fans may. That’s followed by a poignant self-confrontation in “The Man in the Mirror.”

This production ends just as the tour begins, sparing us the agony of what was to come — the premature closing of the tour due to Jackson’s deteriorating mental and physical state and the allegations of child molestation which surfaced against him in 1993. What we’re left with is not only the brilliance of his unmatched talent, but the realization of how his traumatic past destined him for destruction. Much of the audience walked out on a high note after curtain calls to another rousing favorite, but I left saddened by the reminder of his tortured life.

‘MJ,” book by Lynn Nottage, direction and choreography by Christopher Wheeldon. Runs through Feb. 8 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail. Reviewed Feb. 3. Tickets are $68-$208. vanwezel.org; 941-263-6799