Michael Jackson, The Supremes, Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye and many more of the Motown legends who helped shape the music industry will be honored in “Motown the Musical” running Feb. 24 to March 8 at the Broward Center for Performing Arts. The national tour of the musical brings a special part of history to a present day stage giving audiences classic hits from some of their favorite artists.
I spoke with Jarran Muse, who plays Marvin Gaye. Here’s what he had to say about his experience playing the musical legend.
Can you tell me a little bit about your role?
“Currently, I play Marvin Gaye. A lot of people know that Marvin was that essence of soul. He was an icon.”
How long have you been playing this role?
“I’ve been playing Marvin for the last year.”
Have you always had a passion for singing and performing?
“Yes, absolutely. Singing and performing is something I did as a kid and my mentors later told me that I could be on Broadway, so it all kind of came together.”
When did you start singing?
“I would say elementary school, because I sang in all of my school choirs. I always had a solo. I was in city choirs, competitions. I just always loved singing, and, once I started doing musicals, it just went hand in hand.”
Is anyone else in your family musically inclined?
“On my mom’s side, all of her brothers and sisters are all pretty much musically inclined. They play instruments and sing. But I’m the only one who actually pursued a singing career. For everyone else, it’s a really cool hobby that they have.”
Do you ever get nervous performing in a show?
“I’m usually past my nervous jitters at this point in my career. But I usually get nervous when I know that there are certain people in the audience. It just depends. When one of the Motown legends came, I had a huge knot in my stomach. Even someone from Marvin’s family has come before.
What musicians do you look up to?
“Marvin Gaye was actually one of my celebrity idols, even before being in ‘Motown the Musical’ was even an option. I love Marvin. He’s definitely one of my inspirations; his music has played such a huge part in shaping my career. A lot of other great Motown’s famous artists have inspired me as well like Stevie Wonder. My grandmother kind of raised me, so I really did grow up listening to Motown hits. I didn’t grow up listening to music that was current at the time. I was listening to the old-school jams.”
Do you think you can relate to your character in any way?
“Absolutely. I think Marvin was a true artist. He was true to what he felt, and I think I’m very similar to that. I’m not as political as he was, but a lot of his words are my thoughts, and he’s actually said what a lot of us were thinking. And he’s good with the ladies too. I only wish I could have met him. I wish he were still alive. I wonder what kind of music he would have now.”
Do you have any plans after the musical?
“Absolutely. I hope that musical theater gives me an opportunity to go into the TV world; a lot of people don’t know that musicals and TV are two completely different worlds, but I’d love for them to collide. I’d like to be in a really cool series or a nice action movie. That would be great.”
What do you want your audience to know about you?
“I want them to know that I am so incredibly grateful for this role, and I’m so happy to share it with all of them.”
Photo Credit: COURTESY OF CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM
