GrandWest’s Roxy Revue Bar has a treat in store for Michael Jackson fans on 25 and 26 March, for one weekend only, when the venue will host the ultimate tribute show to the undisputed King of Pop.
Macassar local Eagen Feb will headline the show with support from a live band, live vocals and choreographed dancers.
Feb, who first began performing Michael Jackson tribute shows in 2008, has studied every move the legend ever made and onstage in full costume he bears an uncanny resemblance to the star.
Speaking to DistrictMail, Feb said that when he started this ‘MJ’ journey, he participated in a lot of competitions on television such as SA’s Got Talent and ‘Maak my famous’ for exposure, and used those platforms to promote himself to the public.
“This led me to more than I could ask for. I’ve been travelling and portraying him all over country, doing sold out events, festivals and corporates. I’ve worked with a lot of well-known artists and shared stages with some of SA’s finest to name a few such as The Rockets, Early B, Take Note Band, Jarred Ricketts, Loukmaan Adams, Christian Bennett, Kinders Van Die Ses and Emo Adams. Being on such a large stage like GrandWest fills me with gratitude for the hard work which pays off. This is the centre point of entertainment in the Mother City, where a lot of entertainment happens and it is simply just a blessing to leave a footprint on that stage.”
Feb adds that he wouldn’t classify this as his biggest show in the time that he’s been portraying MJ, but this is definitely one of the biggest Michael Jackson shows that he’s going to do in Cape Town.
“To do a show on such a scale, is very time consuming. It takes months, there are a lot of rehearsals and backup dancers rehearse their dance routines. The band rehearse the tracks, and there are team rehearsals where dancers need to rehearse with the band. There is wardrobe that needs to be in sync with certain songs, and technical matters such as synchronising lights with the music. All the cast live around Cape Town and we need to travel to one another for rehearsals.”
On show day, Feb typically starts the day with an early morning cup of tea – his calm before the storm.
“Transformation begins immediately by shaving my beard. Relaxation kicks in and I just simply do nothing for the rest of the time. Four hours before showtime, soundchecks and vocal warm-ups start, a few leg stretches and the makeup transformation begins. I get dressed and mic’d up. A sip of water to clear the mouth and I’m ready to jam!”
Asked about how his performance has evolved over the years, Feb replies that there is no new material when it comes to Michael Jackson due to his death, but to keep everything fresh and funky he incorporates new and modern techniques and sets to keep it updated. “The team gets bigger and also we step it up by doing bigger gigs and expand our wings, hence we need to grow within this and we like a challenge. Michael Jackson is a legend and very versatile when it comes to being a artist. Not only could he sing but he was a great dancer. If you look at today’s artists a lot of them are influenced by MJ. It’s his music and performances that bring people together and never goes out of fashion. What keeps me going is every time I see the reaction from audiences. That tells me I’m doing something good.”
Speaking about this upcoming show, Feb insists that this is a production not to be missed. “Most of us never had the opportunity to see Michael Jackson live on stage. His music speaks world wide and brings people together. No one will ever be MJ, there could only be one Michael Jackson. But, this show gives you a chance to relive the legend and experience the essence of Michael Jackson.”
The show will take audiences on a thrilling journey with music classics like “Billy Jean”, “Beat It”, “Thriller” and many more. Not only does the cast of The King of Pop Experience completely nail the look and sound of Michael Jackson, but they’ve also got the moves. During the show Feb and the dancers will moonwalk and dance just like Jackson. The backing band, The UnExpected also goes by the name ‘UXD’. They are a group of five Cape Town musicians who started out putting on shows for charity but are perform for paying audiences these days.
Celebrate Michael Jackson’s sheer genius as a performer, his extraordinary music and vocals, and his incredible talent for dancing with this show.
V Doors open at 19:00 and the show starts at 20:00 promptly. Tickets are available at R150 from Quicket, or from the Roxy box office at R170 each.
