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BWW Flashback: Watch MJ Star Ephraim Sykes in Action!
By: Nicole Rosky Nov. 21, 2019
As BroadwayWorld reported this morning, Tony Award nominee Ephraim Sykes will star as Michael Jackson in the upcoming Broadway World Premiere of MJ the Musical. MJ will begin preview performances on Monday, July 6, 2020, at the Neil Simon Theatre. Opening night is set for Thursday evening, August 13, 2020, at 6:30 p.m.
Need a crash course on Broadway's newest leading men? While we wait for MJ, check out some of Ephraim's past performances!
Ephraim currently stars as David Ruffin in Ain't Too Proud on Broadway. His performance earned him his first Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. Below, Watch as he performs two Temptations classics: "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud".
Sykes was last seen on screen as "Seaweed J. Stubbs" in NBC's "Hairspray Live!", performing opposite Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, and Jennifer Hudson. Before the live broadcast, the cast performed a sneak peek of "You Can't Stop the Beat" on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watch the performance below!
In June, Ephraim accepted The Actors' Equity Foundation's 2019 Clarence Derwent Award for most promising male performer on the New York metropolitan scene. Watch as Tony winner Sergio Trujillo presents him with the award below!
Ephraim's other Broadway credits include: Hamilton: An American Musical (OBC), Memphis (OBC), Newsies (OBC), Motown (OBC), and The Little Mermaid. Additional TV/Film credits include: "Marvin" on "Vinyl," "Luke Cage," "Smash," "30 Rock," Leave It On The Floor, Woody Allen's Crisis in Six Scenes, and Detroit directed by Katheryn Bigelow. A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Ephraim graduated from the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University BFA program with departmental honors and toured with the Ailey II Company for two years.
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