If you don’t know who Michael Hix is, you better find out.
I only have one word for this man: outstanding!
Last night I attended the Michael Hix: Motown Breakdown show
at Old Town Theatre and let me tell you, he did not come to play.
Beforehand, I was afraid that this was going to be extreme
ineptitude, a perfect storm. Motown isn’t easily mimicked, and I’ve seen my
fair share of bad shows. Prior to the start of the show, the audience was
energetic and it seemed like they knew exactly what they were in for.
When the curtains finally opened, there stood a full jazz band.
They played a short instrumental before Michael Hix shot out in a flashy suit
and glided across the stage. You could tell this was his usual style.
Immediately, the crowd (comprised mostly of sixty-somethings)
was hysterical. He imitated moves of James Brown and Michael Jackson. He
interacted with the crowd, coming down to sing with fans and jumping on the
seats
I was fascinated.
After the first song, he introduced himself— comparing himself
to the looks of Ellen DeGeneres. I would say he reminded me more of a
rebellious Joel Osteen.
The show consisted of songs by The Platters, Jackie Wilson,
Smokey Robinson and The Supremes; however, he didn’t dive right into Motown. He
gave a bit of a history lesson building up the act and completed the set with a
Michael Jackson song.
And let’s talk about his outfits.
First of all, this man knows how to pick a good blazer. From
shiny, to velvet, to glitter— he had it all.
His hair? Perfect the entire time.
If I didn’t know this man could sing, just by the way he
dressed, I could infer he knew how to do something well.
There were a few times where he would dance around the stage
so aggressively and fast, I thought he might fall off the stage.
He brought his wife on stage many times, and she performed
outstandingly. Her voice stretched like a warm blanket all over the theatre. There
was one number where Michael acted as her background dancer and singer where he
showed off his “assets” and definitely had the crowd wooing.
By the end, everyone was waving their phones in the air like
lighters to Michael Jackson’s “I’ll Be There” and taking in all that they’ve
just experienced.
After the show, I waited in the lobby and watched Hix assist
an elderly woman to the door. I was intrigued by his glitter suit, which looked
so much cooler up close. I stared at him and smiled. Crazily, similar to the
end of “Thriller,” Michael Hix looked back at me and winked before exiting the
building. Talk about an ending.
In all, the show was a success and a great experience. He
definitely embodied the concept of Motown and projected it perfectly.
I got my “Michael Hix fix.” And I’ll be back for more.