Myles Frost: The Reimagining of an Icon

Tony Award-Winner Makes Broadway History Playing The Iconic Role Of Michael Jackson

When you first walk into the Neil Simon Theater it will not be unusual for you to feel a quiet piece of magic in the air. The power of Broadway will already be on full display with the many eyes wandering around, excited for whichever show to start. But since February 1, 2022, the magic seemed different. That’s because the presence of an icon is felt throughout MJ: The Musical.

Audiences have 23-year-old actor and singer Myles Frost to thank for the reimagining of the icon Michael Jackson. He along with the team behind Broadway’s popular musical has been able to do something many believed was impossible; make even the biggest of Michael Jackson fans watch as though the King of Pop was on stage himself. For Frost, the timing aligned while he continued to do the work. Taking on the role of Jackson is no easy feat, especially in a world where the groundbreaking superstar is impersonated by a plethora of entertainers across different cultures.

Where impersonations could come off as too gimmicky, Frost’s embodiment of the late singer made history. During the 2022 Tony Awards, the rising star became the youngest individual actor to ever win the award for Best Leading Actor in a musical for his performance. “I never been to the Tony’s before, I never watched the Tony’s,” Frost says. At the time of his win, the world of Broadway was still new to him. Now, looking back the history maker says the moment he heard his name called was humbling for him. “Thinking about the amount of work I put in and the amount of work my cast put in, thinking back at the level of dedication and passion it took to build this type of show, I am truly blessed to be a part of Broadway history,” Frost explains.

At such a young age, Frost has a great starting point as his career continues to grow. The entertainer’s career is no overnight success, and the undertaking it took to play the role of Jackson shows that there is power in the process and more often than not, things can come full circle. The days when talent is discovered walking down the street is long gone, but being discovered in unconventional ways is not. For Frost, a video uploaded on YouTube by his mother of his performance of Jackson's hit song Billie Jean in 2016, helped catapult him into the record books. In 2021, Frost was a senior in college when a fateful phone call from his acting coach changed his life. Leland Thompson woke up with Frost on “his mind” and decided to type in the actor’s name. Five years after Frost’s video of him performing Billie Jean was uploaded, the video was the first thing to come up under his name.

After reassuring Thompson that he can still perform like he did all of those years ago, the chance to audition for Jackson arose. “I was lying because I hadn’t done that since 2016,” Frost says about the process to become MJ.

Frost’s mindset makes him stand out. Even in his younger days, he knew he was destined for greatness. Frost came out on the other side of rejection when he failed to make the cut during a past season of NBC’s The Voice. “I don’t believe in No’s, I believe in not yet,” he says. Frost’s faith is what continues to make him go on his path. In another full circle moment, the season he did not make it on The Voice, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson was a coach. Frost recalls Hudson giving him advice during the show. Years later both Frost and Hudson won their respective Tony’s the same night. “For me, you realize how strategic God is… you understand why things worked out the way it did,” Frost says about some of his setbacks.

Along with his faith, Frost acknowledges that strong Black women have played a huge role in his life and why he is so positive at things that scare him. The Maryland native says that he “has a praying grandmother and mother,” and because of them his career has reached new heights. It was through the sacrifices of the Black women in his life that Frost is not only wise beyond his years, but also a true artist.

“I didn’t have a plan B,” Frost says about how Black creatives are handled in society and how we are ultimately told to always have a backup plan. Black creativity is still a taboo topic. Not a day goes by where the definitions and the responsibility of the Black creative are challenged by our community and by those not in our community. For Frost, his parallel upbringing to Jackson is undeniable in regards to having space to be creative at a young age.

The entertainer says that when someone makes sacrifices for their loved ones to ensure their dreams come true, it is also important not to hold that over their heads and also create a space for them to believe in themselves. Because of the space Frost was allowed to have, he has become one of the brightest young stars on Broadway and in Hollywood. With music on the way and more shows of MJ: The Musical to go, Frost shows that he is not only reimagining the iconic Michael Jackson, but he is also ready to introduce the world to what a true artist can do.

Photo Credit: Emilio Madrid

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