After working in Children’s Theatre and Regional Theatre for several years, I really wanted to work at home. And home for me is New York City…born and raised!
So I thought to myself …what are Black Actors mainly doing in New York (the year being 1977) and my answer was “singing and dancing”.
I considered myself an Actor, who could sing and “move well”.
I realized that “moving well” was probably not going to cut it. And after a disastrous dance audition for the Broadway show OVER HERE, I signed up to take dance class at the Alvin Alley dance studio…my goal being to learn how to do a clean double spin. (which I did).
In early 1977 I was cast in an Off-Broadway Musical called LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. (very little dancing was required). I was in the midst of rehearsals, when I got an audition for the new Broadway Musical ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. I went in and sang for Hal Prince and all went well. I got a callback to come in and dance. I was ready this time…then I found out it was a tap dancing audition. Now I had taken tap lessons as a kid, but I was nowhere near, what I thought a Broadway tapper should be…And given the fact that I truly was in the middle of tech rehearsals for LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, I told my agents to tell the casting folks that I was unavailable for a call back. But if at a later time, they were still seeing people I’d be happy to come in. (thinking that would never happen)…needless to say they called!
So, I go to the audition…this is for the role of one of the Train Porters. We’re shown the routine…It’s sixteen shuffles and a time step. I’m thinking two things: 1. This is just the first part of a much harder routine. 2. I can at least do sixteen shuffles and a time step.
Well, I watched the first group of guy go up to do the routine…and literally NONE of them could do sixteen shuffles and a time step. WELL…when I got up there…I turned into Fred Astaire! And I got cast in my first Broadway Show. Just show’s to go you…what a little tap’ll do you!!
A little postscript…On the first day of rehearsals of most shows, there is what is called a “show and tell” All the creatives are there; playing the score, reading the script, displaying the set and giving a taste of the choreography. The tap number that they showed us, was a show stopping tap number, complete with jump splits! NONE of us guy’s cast as the Porters could really tap. I got the Choreographer Larry Fuller, off to the side and asked him,” How long is it going to take for us to learn this routine?” He said “If you were paying us…2 years…since we are paying you…6 weeks!”……SHOWBIZ BABY
BIOGRAPHY OF MEL JOHNSON JR.
MEL JOHNSON JR. Actor/Director/Producer-Though easily recognizable from his TOTAL RECALL co-starring role opposite ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Mel is equally comfortable these days discussing the production of his new one man show “Frederick Douglass In The Shadow Of Slavery” which had it’s extremely successful world premiere in California at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, as he is discussing his work with such companies as Goldman Sachs, American Express and Credit Suisee as a corporate councilor.
While living in Los Angeles, Mel was the Executive Producer of Shadow Entertainment’s Urban Horror label “Big City Pictures”, he produced four feature films “Ragdoll”, “The Horrible Dr. Bones”, “Killjoy” and “The Vault” – All of which can be found on video. Mel was also the Artistic Director of The Imagination Workshop, a group of actor’s, writers, and directors that work within the psychiatric community and with kids at risk. He’s extremely proud of the fact that during his tenure as Artistic Director, The Imagination workshop won the first Ovation Award given to a company for “Outstanding Community Outreach.”
Mel has countless credits from a resume that reflects his work on stage, screen and television. As a theater director his work is best embodied by the award winning “Give’em Hell Harry” starring JASON ALEXANDER, “Oscar To Oscar”, “The Me Nobody Knows”, “The Ballad of Lizard Gulch” and the critically acclaimed “The Last White Man in the World”. Most recently he directed the World Premiere of Tom Dugan’s one man show “Robert E Lee, Shades of Gray” at Richmond Virginia’s Carpenter Center.
When his acting career is mentioned, Mel finds it difficult to point to his most significant work, but can quickly identify the roles that gave him the most pleasure. In addition to his film work, the list includes Broadway stints in “On The Twentieth Century”, “Eubie!” with Maurice and Gregory Hines, “The Rink” with Liza Minnelli, and Chita Rivera. Bob Fosse’s “Big Deal” Mufasa in “The Lion King”, starring in the new Earth, Wind and Fire musical, “Hot Feet!, and most recently, featured in the musical revival of “Jekyll and Hyde”. Mel would be remiss if he didn’t mention his long standing relationship with The New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theatre, where among many he starred in the revival of the musical “Two Gentleman Of Verona” for The Festivals, Shakespeare In The Park, and most recently was featured in Stephen Sondheim’s “Road Show”. On television he was a regular on David Lynch’s “On The Air” and guest starred on numerous other T.V. shows from “Jessica Jones” and “The Blacklist”, to “Star Trek Deep Space Nine” and “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”. Mel has always found it extremely rewarding sharing with other what he has learned from education, at the High School of Performing Arts and Hofstra University and his vast life experience. He has taught classes in both New York and Los Angeles, coached individually and spoken with numerous schools, colleges and community organizations around the country. MEL JOHNSON JR. is as excited about his future as he is proud of his past accomplishments.