Ilario Grant and Brandon Lee Harris on Finding Michael Jackson’s ‘Essence’ in Broadway’s MJ

For Ilario Grant and Brandon Lee Harris, stepping into MJ at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre is more than a homecoming. It’s a chance to finally share the stage. The performers spoke to Broadway.com and reflected on their intersecting journeys, the work behind their performances and the enduring appeal of Michael Jackson.

After performing in the musical’s first national tour, Harris is enjoying the return to familiar surroundings. “The energy in the Neil [Simon Theatre] is so special,” he says. “The show is built for the Neil.” While the touring company brought its own personality to the production, being back where he started “feels very much so like a homecoming.”

That return also brings a long-awaited opportunity to perform with Grant. The two started with the Broadway production around the same time, but Harris headed out on tour before they could share the stage. Having followed one another’s journeys, they now get to experience this chapter together. “To play MJ is such a massive, massive feat and he's doing an incredible job and I'm grateful to be sharing the stage with my brother,” Harris says of Grant.

For Grant, taking on that feat begins in his dressing room, where dance videos, interviews and glimpses of Jackson’s playful side help him enter the performer’s world. The physical transformation completes the process. “The wig and the makeup do it and then the clothes seal it,” he says. “Then as soon as I get out of the dressing room, I'm Michael Jackson.” Beneath the costume, Grant’s performance rests on careful study of Jackson’s voice and manner. “We don't want to mimic him. We want his essence,” he explains. Rather than abandon his own voice, he pitches it higher and draws on Jackson’s distinctive cadence and rhythm to bring that presence to life.

That preparation also includes learning from people who knew Jackson firsthand. Grant recently worked with Rich and Tone Talauega, who danced and choreographed with the star. Their stories offer insight that goes beyond the steps. “They traveled with him, they toured with him,” Grant says. For the performer, learning from them in the rehearsal room is “a dream come true and a blessing.”

Those personal connections help sustain a performance that reaches across generations. Grant points to his grandmother, nieces and nephews as evidence of Jackson’s timeless appeal, while Harris feels that connection unfolding in front of him each night. “I'm looking at the audience, I'm feeling the music, I'm feeling the spirit of Michael,” he says. For audience members who never experienced Jackson live, Harris hopes the musical offers a way to feel that presence. “What we get to do on the stage is the closest thing to it,” he says. “I'm grateful to be a part of that and bring that to people.”

See the stars in action in the video below!

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