2015 = TOO MUCH FOR ME TO JAM!!!

In 2015, LEGACY has been so busy I’ve had no time to Blog and share with you all what’s been going on with the show. Where to begin… Where to begin!!!

As some of you know, we rolled out a brand new show in the spring of 2015, which has been a complete hit amongst MJ and LEGACY fans. We added new dance songs to the show such as “This Place Hotel”, full version of “Working Day and Night” and other sexy rock songs such as “Dirty Diana” and “Give In To Me”. In addition, we added new costuming by Sue Saari Designs and awesome lighting by designer Ian Knodel.

This year alone, LEGACY was featured on radio, and scored a full page, full color article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and was also placed on a commercial billboard recently as a result of advertising the early October Thriller performances in Burnsville, MN.

In May, we broke attendance records at SteppingStone Theatre with over 1,900 tickets sold in just two weekends. That is incredible for the size of our show.  But most importantly, LEGACY had the opportunity to play key stages such as the Saloon’s main stage during the Pride celebration in downtown Minneapolis, Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Gay 90’s and The Muse.

I cannot express how thankful and lucky I am to have such a great artistic family who is dedicated, committed and passionate about what they do. This success would not be possible without their input, their ideas and their talent.

This year has placed us right back on the top of the game and I plan to continue outputting high quality work that is tasteful and pays homage to Michael in a very positive light.  There are few MJ tribute shows in the country this size and I am very proud of the product LEGACY has become.

There is some re-structuring that is going on internally with roles and responsibilities within the production team and for those of you who follow us closely, you may be surprised (as was I) but change doesn’t necessarily have to mean ‘bad’. It’s just different. I’ll be making those announcements soon via blog as well so for those of you who follow us “Blog-Closely” can be in the know.

Thank you to all the MJ fans, facebook followers all over the world and to all the people that come see our shows! We do this for YOU. 

-LC JACKSON

Wig Hunting...

One of the most popular questions that I get as an impersonator is:

"Is that your real hair?" The answer is always "yes, why yes it is!!" That's not because I grew it myself but because I bought it. The truth is, like most MJ impersonators, I wear a wig/hair piece. MJ had very unique hair regardless of what era you're shooting for. He always managed to make it his own and it was a very original look. This is one of the reasons it's hard to simply grow hair and try to make it look like his. It's easier to find the right hair, cut and style it as needed and TADA!!! Right? Nope. It's not that simple.

Finding the right wig has always been a big problem for me. You have to find the right texture, color, length and durability. I have always used human hair wigs because they provide a very natural look, natural movement and they're great to clean.

The downside to human hair wigs is that it's hard to predict their reaction to heavy sweat, constant cleaning and lights always shining on it, which will cause it to dry and frizz eventually. I've had a human hair wig last me 30+ shows and some have lasted only 2-5 shows because the hair itself was not resilient to the wear; it can be very frustrating. In addition, wig manufacturers are not consistent with their wigs so before you know it, they discontinue the "perfect" one and the hunt begins all over again.

Needless to say, for the new 2015 shows, I'm still in the process of finding the right one(s). While I still have previously used hair pieces, I think a new one is overdue. While looking for the right set of hair is my least favorite part of putting the aesthetics together, it's one of the most important ones next to costuming and makeup. The hair quality and look is what sets you apart from simply 'wearing a costume' to being a professional, high[er] caliber entertainer.

Until I find the right hair, I will continue my search in Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco. One of these cities must give in... And as long as I don't show up with a mop on my head when the curtains open in May, I think we'll all benefit.

-LC

The Set List

The set list for a show is by far one of the hardest things to put together for many reasons. There are many things to consider such as: the costuming, lighting, dancers, transitions etc. Not to mention, you need to keep a good balance in a show so that it’s assertive, yet fun and emotional at the same time. You’d be surprised how long it takes to build a set list. To this day, I have not completed the final set list for the May shows. Part of the reason is because I let my feelings, my moods drive that. Granted, I need to take into account that people MUST have songs like Thriller, Beat It, Smooth Criminal and Billie Jean. These songs are the ‘untouchables’ and will be in the show, regardless. The rest is up to balance, feeling and emotion.

While I am not going to give away the set list, you can definitely expect a very intense show, overall. When I define it as intense I do not mean aggressive or anything like that. I mean intense in an approach type of way. Interestingly enough, this show is coming together after much turbulence between the last show and this one. Believe it or not, the feelings, emotion and personal undertones carry into the work. It sounds very cliché but this (my art) is my way expressing my feelings and emotions. Lyrics fill in for the things I cannot, or choose to not express in words or actions. MJ wrote incredible songs that carry so much weight in their lyrical content.  There are also songs that are very fun, light, feel-good classics like “Black or White”, “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Remember the Time”, which always make people dance, smile, jump off their seats and scream off the top of their lungs.

The heavy songs tend to make audiences (and myself at times) lose it and cry. From the stage, I sometimes see people reaching for tissue to wipe off the tears. Other times they just ball, literally! They lose it. Performances create a connection that I cannot explain. There exists a  unique relationship betwen the performer and the observer. When it's done right, a feeling and a message is communicated which in turn produces a reaction on both sides. It’s quite beautiful. There is no feeling like it. It’s something I cannot understand nor do I care to as long as that feeling is present. Sometimes the most beautiful feelings we don’t have to understand and that's when we need to learn to let go of our insecurities and torment. Easier said that done. 

-LC

Lyrics carry weight. Songs express and do for the soul more than years of therapy ever could.  

-“You’re kicking me down, I got to get up. As jacked as it sounds the whole system sucks.”

-“Beat me, bash me, you can never trash me, hit me, kick me you can’t ever get me.”

-“You and your friends were laughing at me in town. But it’s okay. You won’t be laughing girl, when I’m not around”

-“So I’ve learned that love is not possession. And I’ve learned that love won’t wait. Now I’ve learned that love needs expression but I learned too late and she’s out of my life.”

-“Just promise me whatever we say or whatever we do to each other for now we’ll make a vow to  keep it in the closet.”