Melinda Jackson solo in "Broadway With Heart." (Photo courtesy of the artists)
For the second consecutive year, husband-and-wife dance team of Michael Kessler and Melinda Jackson will act, dance and sing with five other cast members in their original production “Broadway with Heart.” It stars the dancing duo as aging show business performers who travel back in time to recall their favorite moments performed on Broadway and film working with famed dance choreographers and directors, such as Bob Fosse, Joe Layton and Jerome Robbins.
"Broadway with Heart" will be performed on Friday, Feb. 3 7:30 p.m. at Aventura Arts and Cultural Center.
In addition to sharing anecdotes, the duo also dance and sing memorable scenes and songs from Broadway musicals, such as “A Chorus Line,” “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Fiddler On The Roof,” “Gypsy,” “Hair,” “Phantom Of The Opera,” and “West Side Story.”
The many songs performed by the cast include “America,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Life Is A Cabaret,” “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning” and “Tonight.”
LEFT: Melinda Jackson and Michael Kessler as the veteran show business couple in their original show "Broadway With Heart." RIGHT: Michael Kessler lifts Melinda Jackson in a dance sequence in "Broadway With Heart." (Photos courtesy of the artists)
Although the show is not entirely biographical, many of the dances and songs that are performed by Kessler and Jackson are recreations of their performances in “Hair” and other shows they have performed in during their careers.
“We wanted to create on stage a history of great Broadway and film musicals from an era before we were born to more contemporary shows like ‘Hamilton.’ We never worked with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, so by becoming this imaginary veteran show business couple, we could share the thrilling scenes and songs that were created by so many legendary choreographers, dancers and directors,” says Kessler.
Along with performing songs and dances, all choreographed and directed by Kessler, the stage will be enhanced by costumes designed by Jackson.
“Many of the famed actors and dancers are remembered for the costumes, such as the ‘Phantom’ mask which Michael dons with a cape in recreating ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ or the funny clothes we wore in the song ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’ from ‘Kiss Me Kate,’” says Jackson.
LEFT: Michael Kessler's solo in "Hair" in "Broadway With Heart." RIGHT: Michael Kessler and Melinda Jackson perform in costume "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" in "Broadway With Heart." (Photos courtesy of the artists)
Kessler, who wrote the script for “Broadway With Heart,” and Jackson will also recreate their performance in “The Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular” that was directed by Joe Layton in 1994.
“Working with Joe (Layton) is one of the many highlights in our career. Melinda and I did a pas de deux to the tune of “Clare du Lune’ as well as ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ in ‘The Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular,’” said Kessler.
Kessler and Jackson, who are both from New York, met in the early 1980s in a dance studio.
“We both knew, although not at first sight, that we would be a great dance team together. Part of our joy of dancing is not just the talent, but the commitment to rehearse, observe and to care about each other both on and off stage to be our best as performers and people,” says Kessler.
“The love we share on and off stage can be felt by audiences. We sense intuitively what dance and music arrangements work on stage, and we can feel the enthusiasm generated by the audience on the stage,” said Jackson.
Michael Kessler and Melinda Jackson in a romantic dance scene in "Broadway With Heart." (Photo courtesy of the artists)
Kessler and Jackson married in 1988 and have been performing as a duo in Las Vegas, New York and in South Florida as well as in numerous international tours for the past 35 years.
“We have been a team on and off stage because we never perform separately. I highly doubt that performers in show business who are married will stay married for a long time if they don’t perform together,” says Kessler.
Although Kessler and Jackson have originated many of their shows, such as “Gotta Dance,” “Love To Dance” and “Manhattan Moves” in Las Vegas, Kessler and Jackson have performed many shows in South Florida, where they have been part time residents for over 25 years.
“We both had grandparents who lived in Miami Beach and loved it here, so we first came to settle in Sunny Isles Beach in 2001, before moving to Hollywood (Florida). South Florida is a great place to both live and perform,” says Kessler.
LEFT: Melinda Jackson dips low in a dance sequence in "Broadway With Heart." RIGHT: Melinda Jackson and Michael Kessler in "Broadway With Heart."
Kessler and Jackson not only performed, but choreographed, directed and wrote the musical “To Life” staged at the Broward Center For The Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale. They also created a dance titled “Rock Carmen” for Miami City Ballet.
The duo's South Florida ties led to their meeting and friendship with local actresses Linda Drozdow and her identical twin sister Laura Greenstein. The twins will be performing musical selections from “Cabaret,” “Gypsy” and “Hair” in “Broadway With Heart.”
“Michael and Melinda are superb performers and people and I am so happy to be part of the ‘Broadway With Heart’ cast,” says Drozdow.
LEFT: Linda Drozdow and Laura Greenstein perform in a scene from "Gypsy" in "Broadway With Heart." RIGHT: TLinda Drozdow and Laura Greenstein perform in a scene from "Cabaret" in "Broadway With Heart." (Photos courtesy of the artists)
Drozdow is well-known locally for acting in plays and musicals for more than 15 years as a community theater actor for the Jewish Cultural Arts Theater at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center in North Miami Beach.
Also in the cast from Las Vegas are actresses Nicole Boone, Julie Langille and dancer Koura Wright. Assisting Kessler and Jackson off stage is musical arranger Phil Hall, with orchestrations by Jon Gordon and video projections by Rebecca Sass.
When offstage, Kessler and Jackson enjoy teaching the art of dancing to students internationally through their not for profit organization, M&M American Dance Theatre Works.
“We love everything about dancing and we want to share all our insight and help young dancers grow and flourish in their careers,” says Kessler.
“Broadway With Heart” on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Aventura Arts And Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188 Street in Aventura. Tickets range from $40-60. For tickets and more information, call 877-311-7468 or 954-462-0222 or go to aventuracenter.org. To learn more about Kessler and Jackson, go to americandance.biz or adtw.org
