1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: He's one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Michael Jackson's unique and unparalleled artistry is set to thrill 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: audiences in Perth and the multiple Tony Award winning MJ 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: The Michael Jackson Musical. It's going to be at Crown 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: Theater from June seven to twenty eight. Tickets are available 6 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: through Ticketmaster. Alaria Grant is Michael and he's joining us now. 7 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, a Lario. 8 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 3: Good morning, good morning. How you guys doing good? 9 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: So, I mean it is a it is a long career. 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: So tell us about what the show focuses on. 11 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 2: There's a lot to get through. 12 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, okay, So the show is a two day 13 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 3: and it's yeah, no, that's all this show is this 14 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 3: that's all a two day that focuses on the build 15 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 3: or the process of the Dangerous Tour, that takes us 16 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 3: through his life as a child all the way up 17 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 3: into the Dangerous Tour, and we get we get glimpses of, 18 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 3: you know, how he became who he is, you know, 19 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 3: the artistry, the people that inspired him. And it's kind 20 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 3: of narrated by MJ and Rachel who is the MTV reporter. 21 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: Ah, right, gotcha. 22 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: Have you always been a Michael Jackson fan or did 23 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 2: you just sort of catch on a little bit later 24 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 2: to take on the role. 25 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 3: It's crazy. So I was ten years old and Atlanta, 26 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 3: Georgia was my twin brother, and I'm watching the Thriller 27 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 3: music video. I don't I can't recall like why we 28 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 3: put the Thriller music video on it, but we put 29 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 3: it on, and my life and my artistry has changed 30 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 3: ever since. Then. That's when I became a true, true 31 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 3: Michael Jackson fan and kind of dove into who he 32 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 3: was as an artist. And that's how I became or 33 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 3: how he has shaped me as who I am as 34 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 3: an artist. So teen years old and Atlanta, Georgia is 35 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 3: when I can recall that Michael Jackson became a part 36 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 3: of my life. 37 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: So fast forward, you're working as in shows and the 38 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: opportunity to play Michael comes up. What was the audition process? 39 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 3: Like, oh my gosh, okay. So I submitted an open 40 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 3: call in twenty twenty three amongst hundreds of other people. 41 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 3: And so after submitting the open call, they called me 42 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 3: back to New York at the time and they say, hey, 43 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 3: we want you to, like, you know, come in and 44 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 3: do the role, and I'm like, oh, like great, let's 45 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 3: do this thing. So the process was I had to 46 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 3: sing a couple of songs, I had to you know, 47 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 3: do a couple of dance moves, and I think that, 48 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 3: of course, it all worked out in the end. 49 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. 50 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: We actually always liked to ask people where you were 51 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: when you got the cold, to say you got the roll. 52 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, that that call was that that car was crazy. 53 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 3: I was in my manager's office at the time. She 54 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 3: called me in, and she liked to play this game 55 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 3: to where she goes like, hey, so I got some 56 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 3: news for you, you know, in the downward tone, in 57 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 3: the downward tone, and I'm like, oh man, so they're 58 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 3: not gonna take me. She's like, yeah, so it's been 59 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 3: a hard process and we was trying really hard and 60 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 3: you got the role of Michael Jackson and I just 61 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 3: I just was screaming. I was running around her office building. 62 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 3: It was crazy, started crying. I immediately started. 63 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: Of course you did expected. Now the show is jam 64 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: packed full of Michael's songs. What are your favorite ones 65 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: to perform? 66 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 3: Wow? This changes It's like it's like acting my mom, Mom, 67 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 3: who's your favorite child? You know? Exactly. I would have 68 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 3: to say today it would have to be beat It. Okay, 69 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 3: that song and the energy that that number brings to 70 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 3: us as performers is like electric It's electricity every time. 71 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 3: So that number, I would have to say, is the 72 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 3: one I love to perform. 73 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously you're right into Michael Jackson. You're you're you're 74 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: a true fan, you follow, you know everything that he's done. 75 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: But you're not Michael Jackson all the time. But how 76 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: do you become Michael Jackson on show days? How do 77 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: you get into character? 78 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 3: Wow? So that that's a process. I get to the theater, 79 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 3: I kind of just step my mood and my tone 80 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 3: for the day for the show, and so I get 81 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 3: in there in silence for about three to five minutes, 82 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 3: and then I start to warm up and I start 83 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 3: to watch Michael Jackson live, and I started to watch 84 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 3: his interviews and watch him as he's being a normal person. 85 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 3: And that's kind of how I like channel the energy 86 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 3: of Michael Jackson. And then I just start singing his music, 87 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 3: you know what I mean. I start seeing his music 88 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 3: backstage as the makeup is going on, as the wig 89 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 3: is going on, and it's kind of like this transformation 90 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 3: that happens before I walk on stage, I say a 91 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 3: prayer and I ask God to kind of just allow 92 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 3: me to be used. And then after that, I just 93 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 3: let it happen. I don't even question it. I just 94 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 3: let it go. 95 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: And yeah, I have this imagery be slipping on the 96 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: glove and transform complaint and then. 97 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,559 Speaker 2: You put on the glove and then you tip the hat. 98 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 3: You gotta tip the hat exactly exactly the loafers. 99 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: Yes, I can see it all pass before we caught 100 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: white to welcome you to town. 101 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 3: No, I have not been to person, and I'm so excited. 102 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 3: I heard the beaches are amazing. Well, and I cannot wait. 103 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: You are coming in with of course, but the beaches 104 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:02,720 Speaker 1: are still amazing. 105 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,679 Speaker 2: We'll send you a photo of the beach today. 106 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, please, all right, well this will come around 107 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: very quickly, indeed, June seven to twenty eight at Crown Theater, 108 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: Michael Jackson the musical Alaria. Thank you for joining us 109 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: this morning. We look forward to welcome you to town properly. 110 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: Thank you so much, of course, thank you guys much. 111 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: You