THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME MJ Starring Roman Banks

By Kai EL’ Zabar Editor in Chief

“This role of a lifetime is the role I’ve been preparing for all my life,” says Roman Banks starring in the lead role as Michael Jackson in ‘MJ,’ the first national tour, which makes its Chicago premiere this week at the James M. Nederlander Theatre.

AsAs we began our conversation, I observed the young, vibrant and unquestionably handsome, talented artist, Roman Banks, whose repertoire of work includes (Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen and “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” But on this day we were talking about the role of Michael Jackson. Youthful, sharp, and deeply introspective, Roman spoke in depth about why this part now, and how he got here. He takes a moment then continues to establish the context.

“Understand, ” he says, “Michael was a big influence in my household.

I can remember when my mom went to a Jackson-Five concert and that my entire family had huge Afros like the Jackson-Five. The first album I remember my mom playing was the “Jackson Five Ultimate Collection,” so essentially what I’m saying is that I grew up on the sound of Michael Jackson. Also, my uncle starred in the “Bad” music video with Michael. I’m telling you--the obsession ran deep in our family.

The young Roman smiles from the sacred chambers of his mind as he conjures up the memories still fresh in his psyche and he says, “So it’s always been, that close, the spirit, the energy, the lyrics, the music the moves, the voice, because Michael’s music always felt like home.” Since Michael Jackson’s music resonated with him on such a soul piercing level he says, “The older I get, the more I find myself listening to his music, and discovering new things that I didn’t hear before, revisiting lyrics that reveal nuances through his work, allowing me to better appreciate his artistry, and understand the way that he worked which was so beautiful.” To Roman, Michael’s music and dance choreography, and the delivery all serve to inform him as a young growing artist, but more importantly for this role, they are tools of clarification and instruction.

Roman declares, “So as I said, this feels like I’ve been preparing for this role my entire lifetime. It’s like divine intervention that I get to play my musical hero. I tell people, that this really is a healing theatrical experience.

He explains further, “I had never worked with a professional majority Black cast. It’s been an extraordinary experience that I can’t put into words, to describe what it’s been like to have the opportunity to have people who look like me, in the room, in front of the table, behind the table, dancing with me, and together we’re telling a Black story about a Black musical icon.”

Roman continues, “I get to bring all of myself to this role, which I‘ve never been able to do prior to this production and I’m encouraged to bring myself to this role.”

According to Roman, he’s witnessed performing artists conform to others’ ideas of what a role should be like. As I listen, I hear him saying that ‘It’s not limited to the direction, but rather having more to do with the actor’s understanding of the character and embracing the character’s spirit.’ He expounds, “For this role, it’s nice to walk into the space and be able to expand upon the character. That makes this role so special. I take in all the subtleties revealed through his music and I magnify the role day after day seeking Michael’s creative expression as it communicates to me. We learn as we are in the process of creating. I learn so much every day about MJ, about me, and about me portraying Michael.”

Though Roman never had the opportunity to meet MJ he confesses, “Michael’s dance moves were the first dance steps I learned.” He clinched Michael’s signature moves which became the base of his foundation.

Roman exclaims that he told himself, “Let me work with what I have. Sometimes, I’d choreograph dances which required various facets, like moves to fill in here or there; I’d add in that MJ glide. The point is that, that repetition helped me to perfect that move, which thankfully abetted me in the audition process.”

Asked what impresses him most about the iconic Michael Jackson, without skipping a beat he responds, “I think anyone who hears his voice, recognizes his capability to sound an- gelic, yet also possess raw power, that we hear in songs like “Bad,” “They Don’t Care About Us,” and “Thriller,” where he accesses that exciting vibrancy and contrasts it with those soft delicate tones that he uses in songs like “Man in the Mirror,” and “She’s Out of My Life.” That demonstration of voice control that he mastered is impressive.”

Roman continues, ‘I wanted that voice duality. I wanted that grit when I’m singing about something that’s nasty and dirty, and, you know, messy. And then I wanted that soft contrast when I was singing about a flower, or the summer sky’. To achieve that, I began replicating, and that practice really did influence the way I love to sound when I’m just being Roman today.”

As Roman makes sense of it all he says, it was the practice of emulating greatness that pushed his personal creative boundaries to discover his own uniqueness. he reflects on the process a little more, “My talent grew from my desire to replicate everything I found to be incredible. I’d play “Thriller,” 20 times, 30 times over, try to sing it to the beat, and making sure that I got it right in sync with the movements. So, you see what I mean when I say that it all feels like it was preparing me for this role?”

I grasp that it’s important that he convey the destiny that’s always been there leading to where he is.

He says, “I want to live in that world of everything that made Michael so magical.”

Roman says clearly, “It’s MJ’s artistry that made him a great artist and that impacted me, my work.” He says, “It’s not that I wanted to be Michael, it’s just that anything he did, was always excellent. His excellence was so exceptional to the point that it felt spontaneous because he was always in the moment of his creative delivery.” And I think that’s true freedom when you have put in so much work that your well-rehearsed routine appears instinctive to the viewer, to the audience. And that’s mastery of your craft.”

Roman is thrilled to have the opportunity to ‘bring it’ like ‘Mike’ in his role of a lifetime He told me, “if I’m going for the high note, or the grid, I want to nail it, I want to come out of it clean. And MJ’s brilliance inspires me to be an excellent artist. I accept that not everyone will understand what that takes. But I think, greatness takes pushing yourself pass what your peers might stop at and find uncomfortable.”

Roman related that at age 11 he thought he wanted to be a firefighter. One evening his parents left he and his bother home alone on a dark, dark and stormy Georgia night complete with lightening and thunderbolts. They turned off all the lights watched, “I Am Legend,” the post-apocalyptic movie, starring Will Smith and a German Shepherd. “I was so fascinated that a man and a dog essentially could carry an entire movie. I was blown away by the fact that I was captivated the entire time. I thought, ‘I might want to be an actor because this looks dope and I definitely want a German Shepherd.’ My parents were reluctant about the dog, but to my declared yearning to be an actor, they said, ‘well pray about it.”

Roman recounts the day he was at church and folks were talking about ‘one’s purpose.’ “What does God want for your life? And that’s when I heard the Lord tell me at age 13, ‘you’re going to be a famous actor.’” Bewildered, he asked his mom, “How do I know if I heard the Lord talk to me.” She explained that ‘God’s answers come in different ways to different people. Sometimes others will confirm something that you feel in your heart.’

For the next month at school, Roman notes that teachers, students, peers, lunch staff, commented, that they could see him as an actor. One standout was the person who said that his name sounded like a famous acronym. That, coupled with all the barrage of comments from others impressed upon his young mind, that there was something greater than himself on the horizon. That’s when he said, “Shoot, let’s get this thing started.”

In middle school, he thought, he‘d audition for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” but after he peeked into the auditions, observing people doing ‘Shakespeare’ he slowly backed out because it was just quite daunting to the young Roman.

At his very diverse high school of 3000, he remained constant in his pursuit of television and film, because that’s what he was exposed to—seeing Will Smith, in “I AM Legend,” which had singed his feet. Theatre seemed so polarizing that it thrusted him to be in his head thinking he needed to take straight acting classes. It was his friends who asked him, “Can you sing?” He said, “a little” and they advised him to investigate musical theater, ‘because he’d get the leads, since not all people can sing. Essentially, you’ll be the star of the show.’ The school was producing the “Wizard of Oz,” as the school’s annual musical that year. Roman auditioned and just like that a star was born.

Observant and creatively alert, Roman shared that he sang, “All of Me,” by John Legend and he booked ‘Crow number two.’ He says, “It was a starting place. It was the looks in my teachers’ eyes when I sang, that conveyed, “We got one.” It was from that point that the answer to my prayer became clear.”

Roman added to his repertory of study, things that paired vocals and drama. His thinking was that theater was just for white people. He says, “I thought, I don’t have any place in that world. Why would I try to do that? My junior year, I entered a summer arts program. That experience class introduced me to “Hamilton.” Kids were walking around rapping Hamilton. White people rapping history to me was a turn, thus he concluded, “I’m not touching the show.” But his peers urged him and sent him the video to watch, still he refused. They said, ‘’No, seriously, just watch it.”

Grateful that they did Roman smiles today and says, “It was the first time I saw me on a stage.” Although he’d seen, “The Lion King,” he says it was the first time he appreciated his history and culture portrayed on a stage unapologetically. Geeked, Roman watched the video for 45 days. It was then that he realized, “This is changing my life, the way I feel about musical theater and what I think it’s possible.” In that moment he resolved that he would give some other kid the feeling that he felt in that moment, and it was as simple as that.

Recently, Roman like many super stars kicked off the first NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend with a special national anthem performance showing off his chops.

Roman’s, advice to youth chasing their dreams, “It’s the love that will sustain you. So, make sure you love it. Because when your feet hurt, or when your voice is gone, you’re hungry or you’re running low on sleep, the money or fame won’t be the motivator. It’s just you in the mirror, it’s the love for your craft, love for the people who have carried you to that point that gives you the strength to push through.