by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
It’s good to come home.
That’s how Jacksonville native James Delisco feels about this week as he prepares to perform “The Music of Michael Jackson” Saturday night with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.
Part of JSYM’s “Plugged In” series, the concert features a complete selection of Jackson’s hit songs from his early days with the Jackson 5 through “Thriller” and all the way to his last recordings.
Delisco has a special connection to the show.
The Douglas Anderson School of the Arts graduate attended Jackson’s concert at the Gator Bowl in 1984 and said the experience made a lifelong impression.
Delisco said he was in the Duval County Public Schools free lunch program and one day a teacher asked him if he’d like to go on a field trip.
“It turned out it was to see the Michael Jackson ‘Victory Tour,’” said Delisco. “It was the first time I ever saw anything like that. I cried with emotion.”
After attending Douglas Anderson and Jacksonville University, Delisco embarked on a show business career that has taken him to Broadway, the Las Vegas Hilton and concerts in Europe and Asia.
After leaving Jacksonville and performing in Orlando at Disney World and Universal Studios, it didn’t take long to get noticed.
“I moved to New York City, and within three months I got an audition and was on Broadway,” said Delisco.
He appeared in “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” “Ragtime,” and Sir Elton John’s “Aida.”
Delisco has also appeared on stage in Las Vegas, where he won E! Network’s reality series, “The Entertainer” in 2005 along with a $1 million contract to perform at the Hilton.
Last week, Delisco was in Los Angeles recording his debut album and getting ready to come home for Saturday night’s concert at the Times-Union Center.
The show is arranged and conducted by Brent Havens, who also produced “The Music of Led Zeppelin” and symphonic tributes to The Doors, Pink Floyd, the Eagles and Queen.
Delisco will be performing with a backup band and the orchestra on a playlist that includes “ABC,” “I’ll Be There,” “Beat It” and “Thriller.” One of the band’s backup singers, Felicia Barton, was a finalist on “American Idol” in season eight.
Delisco said as part of his homecoming, he has invited a group of students at Douglas Anderson to sit in during a rehearsal for his show.
“I often ask myself where I would be if it weren’t for Douglas Anderson,” said Delisco. “I’m very grateful.
“It prepared me to be a performer and gave me the courage to go for it. I want those kids to know that I have been in their shoes and if I can do it, they can do it.”
For information about tickets for the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and “The Music of Michael Jackson,” Saturday at 8 p.m., call 633-6110.
356-2466