He was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, a multiple Tony Award®-winning musical centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour is making its way to Calgary. And we couldn't be more excited!

Created by Tony Award®-winningDirector/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ: The Musical goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status.

The costumes, the singing, the dancing – it's all coming to the city in the touring Broadway Across Canada MJ: The Musical. We had a chance to interview Melvin Gray Jr., one of the actors who plays Michael Jackson. We were excited to ask about everything involved in portraying one of the greatest entertainers of our time.

What drew you to want to portray him in the musical? Is it daunting to portray such a well-known person?

What drew me to want to play Michael was his love for music and wanting to bring light to the world. There is something truly beautiful about someone simply wanting to make great music and wanting to be an advocate for peace.

I wouldn't say that it is daunting. There definitely was a lot of pressure when I first started playing Michael. Having to play the King of Pop and do it well honestly was so terrifying when I first started learning the role. Now months later that pressure has subsided I can simply enjoy embodying his essence and telling his story.

A lot of actors talk about how they influence a fictional character, but how do you balance your own processes as an actor while portraying someone who most of your audience still remembers?

I think the best way that I balance my process as an actor when playing Michael, is remembering that I am not Michael Jackson. That is the biggest thing that I have to remind myself of. Me and Michael are two completely different people. We are so lucky to have had him for the time that we had and to see what he brought to the world when the world was against him. Like many people, I've been a Michael Jackson fan for the majority of my life. I just have to constantly remind myself that there's only one Michael Jackson. So keeping myself separate and “honouring him” rather than trying to “be him” is a healthy way of being able to maintain my process as an actor who is portraying the King of Pop, and not to get swept up in the role.

The Dangerous Tour was raising money for charity. Michael Jackson’s philanthropy is often overlooked when telling stories about him and his career. Does that side of him come out in the musical?

We do get to see that side of him throughout the show. We actually get to see it in different parts of his life. From when he was a kid, leading the Jackson 5 and being someone who spoke up for what he believed was right for the group, to when he was giving his proceeds from the Victory Tour to fund scholarships for the United Negro college fund. And obviously when he was working on the dangerous tour and having all the proceeds go to his charity “Heal The World”.

Tell me about the dance moves. Who taught you the moves? How much does the choreography integrate into the story?

So the choreography is such a huge part of the story and how we transition from scene to scene. Our director/choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, has done a beautiful job of making the choreography flow seamlessly throughout the scene work and keeps your eye captivated the whole time. As far as the moves, I was taught by the brother duo, Rich and Tone Talauega, who are basically our reference guides to the movement of Michael. They danced and choreographed for Michael and are our direct line to his movements.

How long did you have to practice before you could recreate the dances in the character of MJ?

My first week of MJ was working with Rich and Tone, and basically it was MJ bootcamp. It was us dancing for about 5 hours a day for a week straight. Just getting the basic movements. The side glide that he does across the stage, the moonwalk, the way that Michael kicked, the pop lock aspect of his movements. After doing that for a week I spent another 2 months working and refining the movement to make it fit to my body.

What’s your favourite Michael Jackson song to sing on stage? Was it your favourite going into the show, or did it become your favourite through the process?

That's a really hard one because I honestly and truly love every single one his songs. But my favourite to sing probably is Stranger in Moscow. It is such an emotional, heart-wrenching song. It's actually the first time in the show that we see the not so pretty side of Michael's experience. We see him very vulnerable. It actually wasn't my favourite going into the show but for sure it has now become one of my favourites.

When it comes to singing, did you have to do any special training in order to recreate Michael Jackson’s sound?

Yes, so we are very fortunate to be able to work with both a vocal coach, as well as a dialect coach. We all know that Michael had a very distinct voice and having to recreate that is not an easy feat. That goes for his speaking voice as well. So our team has done a very good job of ensuring that we are not necessarily trying to sound exactly like him, but have the same nuances that made his sound so unique. Obviously we do have to change/pitch our voices some. So when working with our coaches they do a great job of not steering away from how we sound naturally, and finding a way to blend it with how Michael sounded and doing it in a healthy and maintainable way.

What’s your favourite part of touring with the show?

I think my favourite part about touring with this show is the consistency of how audience members show up to the shows. At every show there's at least one person either wearing the jacket that he wore in “Beat It”, the Thriller jacket, The fedora with the sparkly glove. And it doesn't matter the age. I've seen 3-year-olds all the way to full-grown adults that are fully decked out in their Michael Jackson outfits. Also hearing folks talk about their connection to Michael whenever I'm at the stage door. There have been so many people that got to see Michael live and to hear their stories just makes my heart really happy.

What’s the one thing you want everyone to know about MJ: The Musical?

I want people to know that they are going to be moved by this show. There's so much heart and passion in it. That's the magic of Michael's music, it makes you feel something, it moves you. So if you want to laugh, cry, dance, sing.. Do it! I promise we love to see people do that. We're all in this space because of our love for Michael Jackson, so why not express that?

 

MJ: The Musical is only in Calgary from Nov 18 - 23. Get your tickets before they're gone!

Kate Barker