Elijah Rhea Johnson on Playing 'MJ'

This moment is everything. It's a full-circle moment as an actor: I was a part of the workshop, but I'm also an MJ fan. Michael was the reason I started performing when I was 8, living in Detroit. I love music, I love dance, and I love the feeling Michael gave me.

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It was insane! One of the things that has been so crucial for me with jumping in — whether it was rehearsals or getting on stage — is that I feel so supported by the cast and producers and director from top to bottom. Everyone came in and was supportive and trusted in me. Opening night felt like home.

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Pace yourself. [Laughs.] The biggest thing I'm doing in the show is showing people a side of Michael that people didn't really see a lot. I think he showed himself through his music, and we show that. And he did a lot through his charitable work, which we obviously all know. But personally, we didn't really see vulnerable moments; he didn't show that too often. And we show that in a very candid and truthful way. Myles also told me to have fun, and it is a very fun show to perform.

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I try not to talk when I'm not at the theatre. Which is hard for me, because I'm a talker. [Laughs.] Vocal rest is key. Lots of water and tea. I work out twice a week. The show is a workout, so I try not to push it.

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I was living in L.A. in 2018. I auditioned, as one does. I was a struggling actor trying to do his thing. My agent called me and said, "They're doing a Michael Jackson Broadway show. Are you interested in auditioning for that?" And I was like, "Yeah, absolutely!" And from there it snowballed. When I first started with the workshop, I was in a different place in my life and I think there was a lot of growth that needed to be had, not only as a person but as an actor. In the workshop I played a different part.

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Yes. Rich and Tone, the two brothers who choreographed for Michael and danced with him, they got me in a room and we just danced. And I joke — I've been dancing for a long time, so I think I know how to do the Michael moves. And so much of the feedback has been from the brothers: "That's pretty good, but you're doing this wrong," or they'll say, "It's this foot, not that foot." But they gave me the space to nail down the moves. And I worked a lot with Chris Wheeldon, our director, especially with the acting. It was a lot of work — very quickly.

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I will brag about this: Out of all the dance moves Rich and Tone had to correct, my moonwalk was good enough for them. [Laughs.] I feel very proud of myself for that. But the hardest thing — it's in "Bad." There's a certain part in the song where they're "scooting," and they're these tiny hops. That is still one of the hardest moves for me to get down because it's all in the hips.

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Probably "Human Nature," which is my hardest song to sing, because I dance around so much and that song is pretty low and it's so relaxed in the body.

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I do. Playing Michael is a lot. He's the greatest entertainer who ever lived. To do that, to carry that legacy and to play that man, comes with a lot of things around it. I definitely feel the pressure and understand what I'm carrying. Michael is the reason why I'm performing today.

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