Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 8-8-17

Local
‘Motown: The Musical’ Returns To Tampa: Meet One Of Its Stars, Chester Gregory
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
The chance to play a leg- endonstageorinfilmisa goal to which most actors as- pire.
Count Chester Gregory among the lucky ones, as he’s accomplished this goal twice.
Gregory made his big debut 17 years ago in Chicago mimicking the hip gyrations and velvet sounds of bal- ladeer Jackie Wilson in “The Jackie Wilson Story.”
Nowadays, he travels the country on a touring produc- tion of ‘Motown: The Musi- cal’, playing iconic record label founder, Berry Gordy.
The show is in Tampa be- ginning today for a six-day run at the Straz Center’s Carol Morsani Hall.
It’s the story of Gordy’s founding of Motown Records and building it into an inter- national musical power- house that launched the careers of superstars, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robin- son, and Michael Jack- son.
For Gregory, the role is
more than bragging rights. It’s fate.
The Columbia College alum first tasted stardom playing Jackie Wilson; Gordy got his start in the music business penning tunes for Wilson.
The money Gordy made as Wilson’s songwriter helped him start Motown – the first recording home for Michael Jackson, who is Gregory’s idol and fellow Gary, Ind., native.
In 2003, Gregory per- formed a song of Wilson’s for Jackson at a hometown concert organized in the King of Pop’s honor. Jack- son gave him a standing ovation.
From Jackson, to Wil- son, to now Gordy, it’s all come full circle, Gregory said.
“The chance to get to play him is an honor and a dream come true,” he said.
Gregory’s resume in- cludes parts as Seaweed in “Hairspray”, James “Thun- der” Earl in “Dreamgirls”, and Eddie in “Sister Act.” His path to The Great White Way began with the idoliza-
Chester Gregory plays Berry Gordy in “Motown: The Musical.”
tion of Jackson as a young man.
The pop star was a sym- bol of success and “limitless potential” for Gregory.
“I didn’t know that what Michael Jackson did was so universal,” he said. “I just felt like that if Michael made it, I could too.”
With the seed of enter- tainment firmly planted in him, Gregory auditioned three times at his performing arts high school before being admitted.
Gregory studied dance and acted in community the-
ater throughout his forma- tive years. After graduating college, he got a job teaching Theater Arts in a school dis- trict not far from his home- town.
For years, he balanced teaching by day and turning in critically-acclaimed per- formances in Chicago pro- ductions at night.
Something greater was in Gregory’s sights, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2001 that things began to fall into place.
After a performance of “The Jackie Wilson Story” at the bi-annual National Black Theater Festival, late founder Larry Leon Ham- lin took Gregory aside for a private conference.
“He said ‘you’re going to be a Broadway star,’” he said. “I was looking forward to going back (to the festival) in 2003, but instead I made my debut in “Hairspray.”
Throughout his career, Gregory said he’s encoun- tered others like Hamlin who have pushed him be- yond his comfort zones.
“People have given me an encouraging word and that
has helped me manifest,” he said.
Gregory says he pays it forward by pouring into those whose talents may go overlooked because they’re underestimated.
“It’s been my goal to be an artist and an inspiration,” he said.
While he loves the stage, Gregory says he’s exploring opportunities in television and film and has his eye on a move to Los Angeles in the future.
An album of original music is in the works, too.
Gregory said he avoids pigeon-holding himself as just a singer or just a dancer.”
“I see it all as one big thing,” he said. “It all has a place in my heart.”
His greatest joy is seeing how his art positively affects others.
“When people say they came and saw my perform- ance and they say I changed their perspective on life, it gives me chills,” he said. “To hear that it’s helping to make people’s lives better is ex- actly why I do what I do.”
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017