Akron Life May 2023

WISH GRANTED

Marcus Martin wanted to play the Genie in “Aladdin” ever since he was watching the Tony Awards as a 16-year-old in Akron and saw James Monroe Iglehart perform a song from his award-winning portrayal. “To see another plus-size African American actor owning the stage and commanding the attention of everyone in that room and also everyone watching on TV across the world — it was just mind-blowing,” says the now-25-year old actor. “I was like , That’s a role that I think I can do one day. I’m a little bit too young right now. … But give me a few years. ” Martin was one jump ahead of his dream, preparing for his audition after his graduation from Baldwin Wallace University in 2020 before the role was even available. His hard work paid off — he was cast as Genie in the pro duction that began touring in 2022, bringing its magic to theaters throughout the United States, including the Connor Palace in Cleveland in March. Before the show’s local run, Martin, who lives in New York, taught a jam packed workshop at Weathervane Playhouse, where he got his start in acting when he was 6. It’s all because he loves his roots living in Akron, Fairlawn and Copley. “If you cut me, instead of blood, it will be pizza sauce from Luigi’s [Restaurant] that might come out,” Martin laughs. “Akron is part of my DNA and always will be.” He discusses his dream role and what got him there. “[Weathervane] is really where I fell in love with theater. That’s where I perfected my craft, and that really prepared me for where I am now. ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ — the show means so much to me. [Weathervane] did it for 20-something years in a row.

I got to play Joseph my junior and senior years of high school, which was such an honor and a privilege. I learned a lot. Joseph prepared me for Genie in a way because that was my first time really leading a show. Here I am, playing my dream role. When they told me, I was just over the moon. I was speechless. It was a moment that I had been working for, praying for and preparing for for so long. I still can’t put it into words. Genie’s big iconic number, ‘Friend Like Me,’ is a beast. It is a marathon. It is a 10-minute number. There is tap dancing involved. There is singing. There’s jumping all over the place. In order to build my stamina to do that eight times a week, over the summer, I was running on the treadmill while singing. I love making audiences happy. Something about being able to transport a group of people to a totally different place … make them laugh, make them cry, make them feel everything in a short amount of time — that’s really beautiful to me. So many people have invested in me, and so now with me being able to have these accomplishments, it feels like I can give them a return on their investment. … They believed that I can make my dreams come true, so now that I have made my dreams come true, I get to share it. Getting to represent Akron on the big stage has been a joy.” — as told to Alexandra Sobczak

To see videos and additional content from the interviews, visit akronlife.com.

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MAY 2023 | akronlife.com