With the drop of the beat and the tip of that iconic black fedora, actor Jordan Markus steps into the shoes of Michael Jackson in MJ the Musical, which makes its Nashville debut at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center April 29 through May 11.
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
The production showcases Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry, centered on the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. Created by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into legendary status.
Markus, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, made his Broadway and national tour debuts playing both roles of “MJ” and “Michael” in this production. After joining the production last June, Markus became an understudy and alternate for the lead role last August before ascending to the title role on the national tour this past January.
This is the musical’s first national tour, and we went backstage to chat with the star portraying the legendary role to find out what it’s like being “The King of Pop” on a nightly basis.
Q & A with Jordan Markus, who plays Michael Jackson in MJ the Musical
Q: What personal connection do you have with Michael Jackson? Were you a fan before you got the role?
A: “Oh my goodness, I was the biggest Michael Jackson fan. As a kid, I was him for Halloween five years in a row. I thank my family for introducing me to his music at south an early age. I became obsessed and would watch his videos all the time trying to copy his moves, so I’ve loved him since I was a kid and I’m so excited to play him on stage every day.”
Q: What’s the most challenging part about portraying Michael Jackson on a nightly basis?
A: “He is one of the most energetic performers who ever lived. It’s no small feat to portray him. The show is very physically demanding, as it would be because that’s what Michael’s music calls We’re putting every single fiber of our being into each performant each night. The maintenance is what gets us through. Thankfully we have a wonderful physical therapist traveling with us who keeps us right. And our warm ups and cool downs really help.”
Q: How many Michael’s are there in the play?
A: “I play Michael in the show’s present day in 1992, his Dangerous era. And we have two other actors: a “little Michael” who’s around 13-years-old and is super talented and who we call “middle Michael” played by Erik Hamilton right now and is so great in his own right. Because Michael had so many different eras of his career, the story really is threaded so beautifully so you can see everything he’s gone through before the show’s present day.”
Q: Do you have a favorite song to perform and why?
A: “That’s so tough. I’ll say my top three are ‘Smooth Criminal’ — I love that number so much, its’ so beautiful choreographed, the costumes, the lights, everything about it is just chef’s kiss; ‘Bille Jean’ next — it’s quintessential Michael Jackson, just him in his element and the crowd loves it; and I have to have ‘Beat it’ on there.”
Q: What makes this show truly multigenerational and one to take the whole family to?
A: “At the end of the day, this show is just a great time. The book itself could stand alone and the songs just elevate it. I see little kids come dressed up as Michael Jackson all the time, and it’s such a beautiful thing to witness. They’re up out of their seats dancing around to the music with their parents and grandparents. It’s one of my favorite parts about performing the show honestly — seeing the new fans we can birth along with reminding the older fans who grew up with him why they loved him in the first place.”
Q: What do you think the biggest similarity is between the person you play on stage and the person you are in real life?
A: “We share a lot of similarities as performers, such as empathy for others and passion for our work. The show really highlights what makes him a three-dimensional character, and how he’s so much more than the singing and the dancing. He was a real person with real feelings — the same feelings we all have: passion, loneliness, pressure from work. So that really informs my performance each night.”
Q: If Michael Jackson himself saw this show, what do you hope he would say?
A: “Just thinking about that gives me goosebumps… Well, I’d hope he’d be proud of what we did with his work. I’d hope he’d know this was done with a lot of respect and a lot of love. And I’d hope he’d be up out of his seat dancing just like everyone else.”
Tickets for MJ the Musical start at $60.30. The musical is generally considered kid-friendly, recommended for ages 8 and up. For more information, visit tpac.org.
