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Canberra Today 22°/24° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Arts / Making ‘HIStory’ with respect

Michael Jackson impersonator Dantanio… "He knows about paying respect to the artist.”
Michael Jackson impersonator Dantonio… “He knows about paying respect to the artist.”

WHEN Michael Jackson impersonator Kenny Wizz retired in Las Vegas two years ago, Gold Coast entrepreneur Johnny van Grinsven, of Showtime Management Australia, searched the entire world until he found the artist Dantonio to play the role.

And when he went looking for a Whitney Houston singalike for the show currently touring in Germany, he auditioned 15,000 fantastic singers before he found just the right one.

Van Grinsven started 20 years ago performing in an Abba tribute show then about six years ago got into business himself. Now his list of tours includes “Beatlemania on Tour”, “Elvis: Direct from Las Vegas”, “Michael Jackson: History Show” and “Abba: Thank You for the Music”.

His revamped the Michael Jackson “HIStory” show, coming to Canberra later this month, includes all Jackson’s greatest hits, updated costumes and sophisticated production elements.

The South African-born Dantonio will head up a band of musicians, choreographed dancers, 40 different costume changes and show involving more than $1 million worth of equipment and more than 1000 lighting cues.

Van Grinsven only specialises in artists who have “passed”. To him, tribute means “paying tribute and paying respect.”

“It must be like when Michael Jackson or Freddie Mercury were at the top, giving their best – it’s so specialised, but we seem to be leading the pack,” he says.

“It’s because we have very high standards.”

He says it will take until next year to get the next show, a David Bowie tribute, on stage.

“We’ve eventually got someone from the Czech Republic and we’ll be in rehearsal soon to go on in May next year,” he says.

So is there an unlimited supply of potential artists to respect?

“Well, no. You’ve got to find artists who have 20 to 30 hits that everybody would know – how many Santana numbers would you know?” he says.

Entrepreur Johnny van Grisven… “We’re trying to show Michael in his heyday… we try and recreate him at the top of his game."
Entrepreneur Johnny van Grinsven… “We’re trying to show Michael in his heyday… we try and recreate him at the top of his game.”

Luckily with Bowie he found 28 good songs starting with “Ziggy Stardust”. The only other artist in his sights, though she’s well and truly alive, is Tina Turner.

As for the show at hand: “We’re trying to show Michael in his heyday… we try and recreate him at the top of his game. We want you to imagine seeing Michael when he did the ‘HIStory’ tour in 1986.”

Some tribute performers, van Grinsven confides, can be “pains in the arse” because they think they’re real.

“A lot of Elvis impersonators live it all the day, they should get a life,” he says adding that, happily, Dantonio understands that when his make-up comes off it’s time for reality.

“He is really good, when he’s finished he’s finished, he becomes Danny – he knows about paying respect to the artist.”

The Michael Jackson “HIStory” show, at The Playhouse, June 26, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

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Helen Musa

Helen Musa

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