Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
#1Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/26/22 at 8:50am
So, I saw MJ for a second time last night and Aramie Payton was on as MJ…and I have to say I preferred him over Myles Frost by quite a bit. I think Myles was the better dancer (and, to be quite honest, a front runner for the Best Actor Tony), I found Aramie to sound a lot more like Michael and had the mannerisms and singing voice down pat, to the point where my friend I was with thought he was lip syncing to the original recordings.
Has anyone else seen both of them and have an opinion on if they prefer one over the other? (I know it’s still early in the run.)
Sidebar: People somehow were still showing up to the show near the end of Act I last night (around 9:00pm). At that point, why bother?
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BIG BALONEY
Leading Actor Joined: 6/21/03
#2Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/26/22 at 9:40am
Went on a Thursday night and Aramie Payton was performing as MJ. He was in top form and I have only praise for his performance. The choreographer did an amazing job with this talented cast. I was also aware of the number of late arrivals at the 7:00 performance. A totally entertaining evening with that terrific music rocking the Neil Simon theatre.
Sutton Ross
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
#3Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/26/22 at 11:57am
Both are perfection in the part but for different reasons. It's a tough role and I think Myles should have a permanent alternate 2 or 3 times a week. Myles has the physicality of MJ but Aramie sounds exactly like him. It's pretty incredible. Both men are truly exciting to see.
Yes, I honestly believe some people think this is a concert so they show up whenever. It's bizarre to say the least.
hearthemsing22
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/14/20
#4Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/27/22 at 10:22pm
I haven’t seen Aramie, but when I saw Myles I legit thought he could have been lip syncing to Michael Jackson. He was incredible. I’ll have to try to catch Aramie at some point, but I really don’t like when people compare. I KNOW it’s bound to happen. You can just appreciate actors for different reasons.
Sutton Ross
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
#5Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/27/22 at 10:51pm
Yep, we can appreciate them and compare them as well. It's a message board and you trying to control the narrative is a pointless endeavor. Have a pleasant week.
hearthemsing22
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/14/20
#6Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/28/22 at 7:56am
Sutton Ross said: "Yep, we can appreciate them and compare them as well. It's a message board and you trying to control the narrative is a pointless endeavor. Have a pleasant week."
Then there should also be etiquette and you need to realize you need to stop putting people down by sayin they’re trying to “control the narrative” when they’re doing no such thing. :) get over yourself. Thanks.
BroadwayShowTime
Understudy Joined: 9/11/10
#7Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/28/22 at 8:49am
Does anyone know what happened to Frost? Per Aramie's IG he has been MJ since the 4th and has done 26 shows and Darius Wright did his 1st show at yesterdays mat after only 6 rehearsals and no put-in.
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#8Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/28/22 at 9:45am
Once again: There's no "vs.".
Performers are not your greyhounds to compare.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
#9Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/28/22 at 9:47am
BroadwayShowTime said: "Does anyone know what happened to Frost? Per Aramie's IG he has been MJ since the 4th and has done 26 shows and Darius Wright did his 1st show at yesterdays mat after only 6 rehearsals and no put-in."
Damn. That I did not know. Hope he’s okay. I saw Frost on the second and nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. Maybe injury?
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felixleiter
Understudy Joined: 11/10/12
#10Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 2/28/22 at 10:47am
It is correct that Frost has not been performing. The reasons have not been publicized. Aramie has basically been on for over 3 weeks dating back to just after the opening.
There was a casting notice out last week or the week before seeking a Michael Jackson.
#11Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/15/22 at 12:01am
Any update on this? Has Frost still been out, and Aramie on? Coming Wednesday and based on what I'm reading it'll be a great irregardless of who's performing but curious nonetheless.
#12Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/15/22 at 1:27am
Saw this at Sun Matinee on 3/13. Darius was on as MJ. He was great though there were several flubs on lines - but absolutely made up for those with his voice and moves. Enjoyed the show quite a bit but it was pretty standard bio-musical fare.
#13Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/15/22 at 7:09am
DiscoCrows said: "Any update on this? Has Frost still been out, and Aramie on? Coming Wednesday and based on what I'm reading it'll be a great irregardless of who's performing but curious nonetheless."
I have the sneaking suspicion that Frost is out for the long run if not permanently - Aramie’s Instagram has shown him on nearly every show. Doesn’t it become a billing issue with Equity when an understudy is on this long?
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anonanimal1218
Swing Joined: 4/13/21
#14Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/15/22 at 10:15am
FWIW, Myles was on when I saw the show on 3/5 in the evening.
BroadwayShowTime
Understudy Joined: 9/11/10
#15Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/15/22 at 10:49am
It seems Myles is doing 2 shows a week. (Thursday and Saturday evenings.)
Darius is on at least one show a week with Aramie handling majority of the shows during the week.
I am unsure what is going on with Myles. I did hear a rumor he was injured, but nothing has been made official. I am curious how this will pan out with the Tonys around the corner.
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#16Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/15/22 at 11:36am
BroadwayShowTime said: "It seems Myles is doing 2 shows a week. (Thursday and Saturday evenings.)
Darius is on at least one show a week with Aramie handling majority of the shows during the week.
I am unsure what is going on with Myles. I did hear a rumor he was injured, but nothing has been made official. I am curious how this will pan out with the Tonys around the corner.
What's your source for this? I saw the show last Tuesday night and Myles was in.
Sutton Ross
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
#17Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/15/22 at 11:59am
Saw Myles a few days ago. So, your source is wrong.
silent
Broadway Star Joined: 2/21/04
#18Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 3/16/22 at 9:13pm
I saw the show last night and Myles played MJ. What an amazing performance!
52889j
Featured Actor Joined: 12/8/15
#19Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 5/19/22 at 7:20pm
Sounds like the rumor that he was injured was true:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/theater/myles-frost-mj-broadway.html
He had COVID twice and a fractured toe.
#20Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 5/20/22 at 12:16pm
quizking101 said: I think Myles was the better dancer (and, to be quite honest, a front runner for the Best Actor Tony),
"
the Best Actor Award will go to Jaquel Spivey for A STRANGE LOOP
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#21Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 5/20/22 at 12:38pm
hak5 said: "quizking101 said: I think Myles was the better dancer (and, to be quite honest, a front runner for the Best Actor Tony),
the Best Actor Award will go to Jaquel Spivey for A STRANGE LOOP"
Nahh. HIGHLY doubtful.
#22Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 5/20/22 at 12:46pm
JSquared2 said: "hak5 said: "quizking101 said: I think Myles was the better dancer (and, to be quite honest, a front runner for the Best Actor Tony),
the Best Actor Award will go to Jaquel Spivey for A STRANGE LOOP"
Nahh. HIGHLY doubtful.
"
I'm guessing you did not see A STRANGE LOOP
ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure
Featured Actor Joined: 2/13/22
#23Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 5/20/22 at 12:54pm
You shouldn’t be so confident in Myles beating Jaquel when the latter is the frontrunner. And you’re use of frontrunner is off. It doesn’t mean who you think is gonna win, it’s who the consensus says will win, and that’s Jaquel.
petewk87
Leading Actor Joined: 2/16/16
#24Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 6/14/22 at 10:28am
Was wondering if Myles are expected to be on for all shows in June, or if he has a scheduled vacation etc? Thanks!
#25Myles Frost vs. Aramie Payton as MJ
Posted: 7/22/22 at 10:23am
Someone I knew had an extra ticket last minute, so I ended up going to see this.
Payton was on, and I was curious to hear what people felt about his characterization/mannerisms during the book scenes, compared to Frost. It struck me that Payton played Jackson as pretty down-to-earth, surprisingly normal, kind of chill and even-tempered when dealing with the people around him.
This surprised me, because I was expecting him to be played as more eccentric, more of a "force of nature that commands the room." With kind of a hypnotic inscrutability. Maybe that's just my expectation, but it also seemed like that's how some of the other characters talk about him.
Was this a deliberate choice from the director to make Jackson a bit more humanized (if so, there's textual evidence to support that read as well), or was it just Payton's acting style?
How does Frost play it?
