Casting call for a young Michael Jackson: Berry Gordy’s search

A new musical called Motown the Musical is taking shape at Broadway’s theater in New York, and the producers are looking for a Black actor with exceptional abilities and talent to play a young Michael Jackson. The actor must also be able to play a young Berry Gordy, a young Stevie Wonder, and a young Smokey Robinson. This musical is based on the life of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Gordy has set up an internet base to find this young talent. He is looking for an actor aged 8 to 11 who can sing with an exceptional voice, act, dance, and—put simply—be like Michael Jackson when he was performing with the Jackson Five. In a video message he uploaded on the website, Gordy said: "I’m not looking for an impersonator. I want someone who is both smart and can play his part. He has to be very talented—and beyond that, he has to give me the same feeling I had when I first saw Michael. It came over me." Fans can record their own videos performing songs like I Want You Back, I’ll Be There, and Who’s Lovin’ You, upload them to YouTube, and announce the link on the website. The musical is expected to open on Broadway next spring. Source: eMJey.com / Detroit Free Press