Jordan Markus was destined to play Michael Jackson. Watching Jackson’s music movies as a child, Markus would dance round the lounge in his sock toes, emulating the strikes he noticed onscreen. He now stars as MJ within the first nationwide tour of MJ The Musical, and lives out his personal popstar desires each night time. Dance Informa chatted with Markus to study extra about his dance expertise, how he brings MJ to life onstage and extra.
Markus was launched to the present when it was nonetheless known as Don’t Cease ‘Til You Get Sufficient. He reminisces, “I used to be round 17, too younger to audition, however I undoubtedly needed to see it. A couple of years down the road, I hear about an audition that’s arising for MJ. I used to be residing in San Diego on the time, working and doing a present. One in all my castmates in San Diego reached out and requested if I had auditioned for it. I advised her no, and he or she requested if I needed to. Little did I do know, she was pals with one of many casting administrators. She really useful me to her. I submitted a tape and did a pair callbacks. I first noticed the present in New York throughout my first callback. After that I used to be like ‘Oh, I have to guide this!’”
He continues, “Fortunately I received one other callback, and that was the dance heavy portion of it. They despatched me movies that I needed to study. I had a pair days then flew again to New York, introduced it to them, they usually preferred what they noticed. A pair weeks later, I received the decision that I used to be happening tour with them.”
When requested how closely he felt dance was weighed within the audition course of, Markus shares, “Michael’s clearly some of the phenomenal dancers to ever grace the stage. And the present gained Tony for Greatest Choreography. Dance may be very closely weighted on this present interval, however particularly within the audition.”
Though he’s taken some formal courses, and now works with coaches for the tour, Markus is generally a self-taught dancer – a powerful feat for having landed such a dance-heavy function.
Markus shares, “I used to be round 17 once I did my first present. Coming in as a self-taught dancer and being round so many skilled, well-rounded dancers, I knew I needed to decide up as a lot as I might within the room. I had to verify I didn’t look misplaced.”
He continues, “Now doing a few of the most rigorous choreography I’ve ever needed to do in my life, it seems like a return to what I knew as a result of as a baby that is all I did, all I needed to do. Now that I get to painting Michael onstage, it seems like a homecoming in a approach, a minimum of choreography-wise.”
Markus could also be self-taught in dance, however he took significantly the prep wanted to precisely painting Michael onstage. “I dove into many alternative kinds of dance that Michael talked about inspiring him. Fred Astaire – the best way he floats. Bob Fosse – the traces, the shapes, the oozing of the choreography. The Nicholas Brothers, after all, their tapping is unimaginable and unmatched,” he says. “Ballet can also be one thing that has been closely emphasised in our coaching. The stability of all of it, figuring out the place to carry my weight, and the best way to shift, issues that come from all of the totally different kinds of dance have actually helped me tremendously.”
Increasing additional on Michael’s iconic dance strikes, Markus shares, “I wish to say Michael’s motion was very articulate and really distinct. If you happen to kick your leg a sure approach, everybody thinks Michael. If you happen to do the moonwalk, after all. Music strikes us in a approach that’s irreplaceable, however I feel Michael discovered the best way that his physique moved and a strategy to capitalize on that. You are able to do choreography, however once you really feel it, there’s a unique degree to that.”
MJ The Musical’s choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, enlisted the assistance of Wealthy and Tone Talauega, earlier Jackson tour dancers, to convey the musical’s dance numbers to life. Markus now has the chance to realize insights from their firsthand expertise of touring with Michael.
“I wish to name them drill sergeants,” Markus says. “They’re so meticulous at what they do. Michael was the identical approach – a perfectionist. This isn’t a present you wish to come into not figuring out what you’re doing. It’s not one thing you wish to get unsuitable, they usually know that and whip us into form anytime we’re within the dance studio. They’re a few of the most enjoyable guys to work with. So right down to earth, despite the fact that they’ve been touring the world most of their lives working with the most important artists on the earth. I’m grateful to have an opportunity to work with them and pump their brains about what Michael was like within the rehearsal room.”
When requested about favourite numbers from the present, Markus couldn’t decide only one. “If we’re talking strictly choreography, I’d say ‘Easy Prison’ for certain. It’s such a ravishing quantity – prime to backside, it’s so spectacular. ‘Billie Jean’ after all. Final, I’ll say ‘Human Nature’ as a result of the choreography in that quantity is totally different than any of the others. MJ isn’t doing the heavy lifting, however the best way the ensemble strikes may be very totally different than anything within the present. They give the impression of being stunning – it’s a really gentle, ethereal quantity.”
And, what concerning the hardest quantity? Markus solutions rapidly, “For certain, not even from the choreography standpoint however throughout, ‘Beat It’ is among the most difficult as a result of it’s how we kick off the present. It’s so excessive power, and proper on the prime of the present.”
MJ is surely probably the most bodily demanding present Markus has executed. He credit his cooldown course of to how he maintains his stamina. “Proper after the present, I’ll return to my dressing room. I’ll calm down my voice and roll out my legs. Typically I’ll go to PT if I want a little bit extra assist. I’ll use my therapeutic massage gun, to verify every thing’s unfastened earlier than I bathe and fall asleep. Additionally, the warm-up course of earlier than the present, together with bodily coaching we do twice every week, and rehearsals, all assist to get me able to ship this beast of a present. There’s a lot that we as dancers need to do to handle ourselves outdoors of what you see onstage. Lots of people would possibly overlook that our jobs aren’t simply a few hours an evening. It’s a really rigorous course of, but it surely’s additionally a really rewarding course of.”
Though dance performs an enormous half in Markus’ embodiment of Jackson, he shares that connecting with Michael’s humanity additionally proved to be a rewarding problem. “I studied a lot – watching his interviews, watching interviews with family and friends members, studying his autobiography a few occasions. I feel anybody who needed to grasp Michael might in the event that they actually dove deep into what he mentioned. While you hear about Michael Jackson, you don’t hear concerning the particular person behind him. You simply hear concerning the songs and the performances.”
As Markus relays this aspect of function preparation, it’s obvious that he and Jackson share a variety of private similarities. “There are themes on this present that I really feel everybody can grasp onto. Themes of ardour, perfectionism, loneliness and isolation. It’s simple to faucet into these themes as a result of they’re so common,” he says. “Folks overlook that he was a human who had actual emotions and issues to take care of. They had been amplified as a result of he was the most important star on the earth, however they had been nonetheless common feelings. Being such an empath, it was simple for me to grasp how troublesome that should have been to be below a microscope your whole life.”
Markus shares what he hopes audiences take away from seeing MJ. “I hope audiences study one thing, as I did once I first noticed the present, about Michael and about themselves. I feel good artwork helps us to look inward. I hope they depart with an unimaginable pleasure that they’ll take with them on their journey dwelling that makes them wish to blast all the opposite Michael Jackson songs that aren’t within the present. I’ve heard individuals doing that on their approach out and it brings me a lot pleasure to encourage pleasure like that. On the finish of the day, it’s simply an enormous celebration of artwork.”
Comply with Jordan Markus on Instagram @jordnmarkus, and go to tour.mjthemusical.com for the most recent MJ The Musical Tour updates.
By Melody McTier Thomason of Dance Informa.
