‘MJ the Musical’ brings The Dangerous World Tour to Syracuse
‘MJ the Musical’ brings The Dangerous World Tour to Syracuse
Cast member Melvin Gray Jr. breaks down what it takes to play one of the most iconic musicians in history.
As a child, when Melvin Gray Jr. was first exposed to the music of Micheal Jackson, he had no idea he would one day be taking on the role of the “King of Pop.”
“We had all his music on the CDs and DVDs,” he said. “I was heavily influenced by his music and the impact that he made on a little black kid from North Carolina.”
Gray Jr. and the cast of MJ the Musical bring the story behind The Dangerous World Tour to life at the Landmark Theatre. From Jan. 6 to Jan. 11 audiences can see all of their favorite MJ hits live on stage.
Gray Jr. serves as the alternate for Micheal Jackson, a role he performed much research to prepare for.
“Obviously when you’re playing a character that’s made up, you really can kind of do whatever you want,” he said. “But with Michael, because he is so specific and everybody knows exactly who he is, you have to stay within certain parameters. Like, ‘maybe Michael wouldn’t do this particular thing. Maybe Melvin would do it, but definitely not Michael.’”
When getting into character, Gray Jr. spent hours practicing the mannerisms of the pop star. To get a sense of how MJ held himself, Gray Jr. went through countless videos and interviews of the singer.
“My Instagram is just full of nothing but Michael. His videos or interviews or like rare footage of Michael where he’s just practicing in a studio,” he said. “There I’m constantly bombarded with tons of Michael footage and things even if I’m not even looking for it.”
According to Gray Jr. one of the best things about being in the show is sharing Micheal’s legacy.
“I’ve had so many like 4, 5, 6-year-olds that will come up to me at the stage door and they have their little sparkly glove on and their little fedora and or they have their ‘Thriller’ jacket on. To know that I’m a part of something, a legacy that is still reaching people that don’t even know who he was when he was alive,” Gray Jr. said.
When reflecting on why MJ the Musical has made such an impact with audiences, Gray. Jr believes in the nostalgia and wonder of getting to see such iconic Micheal Jackson songs onstage.
“I just think the costumes, the music, the way that people can just kind of fall back into their childhood and a reminder of why they fell in love with him in the first place,” he said. “Yeah, that is definitely what’s making this thing great.”
Gray. Jr and the cast of MJ the Musical will be at the Landmark Theatre from Tuesday to Sunday.
is Lead Entertainment Producer for The NewsHouse.