Broadway with Heart

Michael Kessler and Melinda Jackson (M&M) sing and dance their way through the classic numbers from some of Broadway’s most enduring hits including KISS ME KATE, HAIR,

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, A CHORUS LINE, CHICAGO, WEST SIDE STORY and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Inspired by legendary Broadway composers and lyricists including Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kander & Ebb, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Marvin Hamlisch. M&M recreate numbers from great choreographers Jerome Robbins, Michael Bennett and Bob Fosse, while revealing personal, backstage stories of their work and experiences with some of the giants of musical theatre.


BIOS

Michael Kessler and Melinda Jackson, affectionately known as M&M, are a husband and wife song and dance team from New York City. In a collaboration spanning more than 30 years, Jackson’s and Kessler’s love and charismatic, critically acclaimed performances ignited a career together directing, choreographing, writing, producing, and performing internationally from ballet to Broadway to the Las Vegas Strip, to theatres and opera houses worldwide. Melinda is proud to be the great-granddaughter of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Bully! Michael is proud to be the great-grandson of Russian Cantor Yacov Sanzofsky. Shalom!


M&M were the starring song and dance team in “The Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular,” directed by Joe Layton touring over 80 U.S. cities and playing an extended run on the Las Vegas Strip at the Flamingo Hilton. They played the roles of the Blind Countess and the Gigolo in Tommy Tune’s Broadway Show, “Grand Hotel.” They played the roles of Ninotchka and Canfield in Cole Porter’s, “Silk Stockings.” Michael & Melinda produced, directed, choreographed, wrote original music and starred with their company M&M American Dance Theatre in “Manhattan Moves” Off-Broadway at the American Place Theatre. “Manhattan Moves” premiered in Milano, Italy and toured over 40 European cities.



Their first production, “Lost Luggage,” premiered in New York City, received a rave review in the New York Times and within ten months was playing to sold out houses and standing ovations throughout theatres and Opera Houses in the U.S. and Europe. Nine international tours followed. They were the Artistic Directors of Ballet Jazz de Paris. They directed and choreographed the 30th anniversary European tour of the hit rock musical, “HAIR,” and co-produced, directed, choreographed and starred in a National Tour of “That’s Cole!,” a Cole Porter dance musical revue.



M&M wrote, produced, directed, choreographed and performed “2 Life” at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. They created “Rock Carmen,” which had its world premiere with the Miami City Ballet. M&M were MC’s and writers of “Las Vegas Legends” at The Orleans.

They’ve appeared individually with the New York City Ballet, Monte Carlo Ballet, Geneva Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Harkness Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, and have performed together internationally with principal dancers from Alvin Ailey, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet and The Bolshoi Ballet among others.