London, Dec 5 Three teenager boys, who will be playing Michael Jackson in the new West End show 'Thriller Live,' have said that they are 'overwhelmed' to have got the chance to portray their idol.

The boys- Layton Williams from Bury, Sterling Williams from London and Kieran Alleyne from Leicester - all aged 13 -are to play the legendary singer in rotation.

Dressed in 1970s clothes, the trio appeared at the Lyric Theatre and performed Jackson 5 hit I Want You Back.

"It's quite scary that we have to be him as he was so amazing," BBC quoted Layton as saying.

Layton, the most experienced performer of the three, was the first black Billy Elliot.

"I'm just going to have to do my best. I really like just getting on stage and, when I finish, for the audience to appreciate it and applaud you. It's a really good buzz. I've always looked up to Michael Jackson. He has always been an idol to me," he added. Sterling, who has played Simba in Lion King in the West End, said: "I love singing his [Jackson's] songs, so this is the perfect role for me."

And the less-experienced Kieran Alleyne has beaten 60 other hopefuls in open auditions to become one of the Michael Jacksons.

"I've always looked up to Michael Jackson. He has always been an idol to me and I've always been trying to follow in his footsteps and to get into a singing career. I'm really overwhelmed to be performing in a show which is a tribute to him," he said.

The opening performance of the show, celebrating Jackson's career and features his hits, will take place on 2 January.

However, Michael Jackson himself is not involved in the production. (ANI)