The Kentucky Kernel

Issue date: 10/29/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Whitney Waters ason Ashley, a communication senior, plays Michael Jackson's part in the dance sequence from the music video for "Thriller" downtown last night during the Thriller Parade, which was hosted by Mecca Live Studio and Gallery. [Click to enlarge]

As darkness fell across Lexington, and zombies crawled through the streets, Jason Ashley thrilled his audience in the role of a lifetime.
Ashley, a communication senior, became the 1980s version of Michael Jackson as he gelled his curly hair, wore an imitation of Jackson's now-infamous red leather jacket and performed the dance sequence from the music video "Thriller."
Mecca Live Studio and Gallery presented the annual Thriller Parade last night on Main Street downtown. Thousands watched as three people dressed as Jackson and about 100 zombies, which emerged everywhere from trash cans to bushes, performed the entire dance sequence from Jackson's "Thriller."
This year's parade was the sixth production of the performance, but the first year that three Michael Jacksons had been used. They were chosen through auditions where each finalist performed with a group of zombies. The choice of who would be Jackson was based off of cheers from the audience of organizers and other zombies, Ashley said.
"They called up anyone that wanted to be Michael Jackson," Ashley said. "We had a dance-off, and it was based on crowd response."
The auditions were dead-even throughout each performance, said Jon Prewitt, who was chosen to play Jackson as well.
"We couldn't decide between the three because each had something to offer," said Teresa Tomb, owner of and dance instructor for Mecca.
Along with Ashley and Prewitt, Aunshe Hall was also chosen to play the role of Michael Jackson for the parade.
Ashley decided to be in the play after he took advice from a friend.
"One of my friends tried out to be a zombie," Ashley said. "She told me about the part."
Initially Ashley said that he was really excited about playing the role of Jackson, but that nerves had replaced the excitement.
"I want to make sure that I remember all the moves," Ashley said.
The nerves that Ashley may have felt before the parade did not seem to show as a crowd circled around him during his stretch of the parade and cheered during his "Thriller" performance.
E-mail wwaters@kykernel.com

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