MD Native Myles Frost Wins Tony Award For Portrayal Of Michael Jackson In 'MJ'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Myles Frost, who grew up in Rockville, Maryland, took home the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of pop icon Michael Jackson in "MJ: The Musical."
Frost was studying at Bowie State University before he dropped out to take this role on Broadway.
The last time he performed as Jackson was at a high school talent show. He was nervous at first about taking the role, but following advice from his mother and grandmother, he decided to accept the challenge.
"My mother and my grandmother instilled in me that there's nothing I can't do. When the opportunity was presented to me, had I said, 'Oh, no, you know, I haven't done it in a long time. Give it to somebody else that could probably do it better than me.' I wouldn't be here," he said. "I took the challenge. I feel like God presented me with this opportunity and this challenge and who am I to turn that away?"
Frost thanked his mother during his acceptance speech.
"You have taught me and showed me what a strong Black woman is and what it means to raise a strong Black man, and I just pray that I made you proud," he said.
Bowie State alumni are feeling proud of him too.
"Someone that walked the same halls as me out here is doing big things," Bowie State alumnus Christian Fowler said. "It gives me inspiration as well."
Before landing the gig as Michael Jackson, Frost had been studying music technologi.
"It's an inspiration," Ashley Spruill said. "And it should be an inspiration to the students here to pursue their dreams and goals."
Other big winners from last night: "The Lehman Trilogy" won Best Play and "A Strange Loop" took home Best Musical
"MJ" also took home awards for Best Choreography, Best Sound Design of a Musical and Best Lighting Design of a Musical.
Bowie State president Dr. Aminta Breaux congratulated Frost on social media.
Frost was a 22-year-old junior and budding Music Technology major before landing that starring role last year. The musical's producer said he saw a high school YouTube video of Frost performing Jackson's hit "Billie Jean."
