'Michael Jackson' — heart & soul

By Richard Duckett TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

We will never see a singer and entertainer like Michael Jackson again, Joby Rogers believes.

However, you can see Rogers performing — and looking and moving just like Michael Jackson.

Rogers has been impersonating Jackson since 1984, which makes him very experienced as the Man in the Mirror. His show “The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience, featuring Joby Rogers” comes to The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts for one night Saturday beginning at 8 p.m.

There are other Michael Jackson impersonators out there in the world, a couple of whom have been featured on these pages, but Rogers is particularly busy with appearances, including attending the recent unveiling of a life wax figure of Michael Jackson at Madame Tussaud’s in Hollywood. Rogers said he is the only impersonator Jackson himself gave his written approval to. Besides which, “what separates me, I’ve been doing it so long I put my heart and soul into my show. I really want people to leave happy,” Rogers said.

Of course, we are fast approaching the June 25 anniversary of Jackson’s strange, tragic and untimely death. Rogers has seen a difference in the reactions of people to his show since Jackson’s death. “I think now the reaction is much more emotional, much more personal. There are a lot of tears after the show,” he said. “I think people have a deeper appreciation for him as an artist than they did.”

Rogers said his show is a “re-creation” of Michael Jackson in concert with lip-syncing and dancing to a sound track of Jackson’s most famous songs. Joining Rogers on stage are eight dancers, and they are highlighted by special lighting and video effects. Rogers has choreographed the show to reproduce Jackson’s intricate dance steps “step by step. … We practice a lot to keep the show in order.” A “very educational video break” provides some different and interesting insights into Jackson. “I’ve always kept my show as a respectful tribute to Michael Jackson,” Rogers said.

He first got an idea of what it is be Jackson when he was in high school student in New Britain, Conn. Friends putting on a show at the school asked Rogers to play Jackson. “I was the closest thing to Michael Jackson, I guess.” But he was a hit, and soon found himself being asked to perform as Jackson at house parties and other gatherings. Then he landed a gig in an off-Broadway musical featuring female impersonators that also had a Michael Jackson.

While in the show, he learned the art of makeup artistry, something he has used to good effect for his Jackson appearances. “That’s where I perfected the look,” he said. He’s been photographed as Jackson for numerous print spreads, including the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine, and has been seen as Jackson on TV on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and many other shows. He’s taken his own show across the country and around the world, and has tours of China and Brazil coming up.

As for the “written approval,” Rogers said that after Jackson had canceled a scheduled appearance in New York City, he put a call out for impersonators. More than 100 sent Jackson videos of themselves, and Jackson selected Rogers’ submission and wrote him a letter. Although the two never actually met, such an endorsement looks good on a “Michael Jackson” résumé. “Being an impersonator has been my main source of income,” said Rogers, who now lives in Meriden, Conn. He also teaches makeup artistry.

But such as his world was up to June 25 last year, it changed dramatically that day.

He was at home and initially unaware of what was unfolding until his son came up to him and said “ ‘I’m sorry about Michael Jackson, dad.’

“I saw the news and it was just unbelievable. I kept watching it, waiting for the joke to come out … When he passed away, I felt like I had lost a sibling.” The phone at home was ringing off the hook with calls from reporters. “I gave 75 to 100 interviews.” Promoters of shows would soon be calling as well.

“Michael Jackson had always equated himself with Peter Pan, and obviously Peter Pan was never meant to be a man,” Rogers said. On the other hand, Jackson was a show biz star from the age of 5 to 50. “He still sold out stadiums. That’s incredible.”

Rogers knows it was hard work. As a Michael Jackson impersonator, he has to walk the walk — as in moon walk, and plenty of other moves. “The older I get, the harder it gets,” he acknowledged.

Still, as jobs go, if you fit the bill you can’t really beat it.

“I still enjoy what I do and I’ll keep doing it till I can’t,” Rogers said.