In the musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” the lead performs the song “Any Dream Will Do.”
But when Marcus M. Martin, 28, took on that role at Weathervane Playhouse a decade ago, he had a very specific dream: He wanted to be on Broadway.
As a student at Emmanuel Christian Academy, Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, and Copley High School, Martin honed his performance skills in numerous shows at Weathervane and then earned a bachelor’s degree in music theatre from Baldwin Wallace University.
“It laid the foundation, not just as a performer, but as a person that people enjoy working with,” Martin said, reminiscing about the lessons he learned as a “theater kid” at Weathervane.
“[Costume designer] Jasen Smith would always talk to us young actors about etiquette and how to talk to the people helping you with your costume changes. Like, if a costume is uncomfortable, how to relay that information in a respectful way.
“There are so many things I learned on stage and lessons I learned about being a professional and how to operate in that creative space,” Martin said. “It was very instrumental to my growth as a person.”
These early roles taught him how to build stamina and prepare for high-energy performances, he said, including his most recent: as a standby Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin” at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. He knows this role well, having played Genie in the North American tour of “Aladdin,” which came to Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace in Cleveland in 2023.
“I grew up seeing all the Broadway shows that came through there, so getting to come back to Cleveland with the show was amazing,” he said.
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Returning to theater roots at Weathervane
As a standby Genie on Broadway, Martin reports to the theater for every performance (there are eight shows a week) and said he is “waiting in the wings” to jump into the role if needed. He shares standby responsibility with another actor, and on the day he spoke with Signal Akron, he was expected to perform in that evening’s show while the actor who plays Genie full-time was out of town working on another project.
To stay in shape, both physically and mentally, Martin swims laps and works out on an elliptical machine several days a week. He also sings along to the music of “Aladdin” on rehearsal tracks to keep his voice in shape.
“The same way you have to work the muscles in your body, you have to work the muscles in your voice, to maximize your vocal and physical stamina,” he said.
Martin is returning to Weathervane Aug. 23 to perform “Broadway Comes Home,” a cabaret concert to benefit the Weathervane Musical Theatre Company (WMTC) Scholarship Fund. This pre-professional musical theater program trains students who are interested in a career in the performing arts, and Martin said he was honored to be asked to perform.
“I always say I grew up on that stage, and I’m really excited to go back for such an amazing cause,” said Martin, who currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, Lydia. They are expecting their first child, a girl, in October.
“I love my city, my village and the people that have been on this journey with me, and I want to share that with everybody,” he said, adding that his mother and grandparents still live in the Akron area.
Joining Martin on the Weathervane stage will be Jarred Lee, a music director and vocal coach from New York City, whose work spans Broadway, national tours, off-Broadway and regional theater.
The concert will feature both solo performances by Martin and collaborations with WMTC student performers, including the songs “Friend Like Me” from “Aladdin,” a medley from “Motown: The Musical” and “Any Dream Will Do” from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Tickets are $50 per person, which includes appetizers. A cash bar will open at 6:30 p.m., with the performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be ordered at this link.
If you can’t attend the event but want to support the dreams of local young performers, you can make a donation to WMTC’s Scholarship Fund at ci.ovationtix.com/35614/store/donations/56314.
