By: Laura Moreno
The incomparable Makenzie Morgan Gomez—queer Hispanic dancer/singer, advocate for the disabled, and trailblazer—has just released a new music video. “Music and the Mirror (& Mobility Aids)” adapted from the Pulitzer-prize winning musical “A Chorus Line” is already going viral across social platforms.
Not only is she blessed with a beautifully clear voice, but she knows how to use it.
But what makes her incredible performance so noteworthy is that Makenzie is disabled. And yet she seamlessly incorporates both cane, crutches and manual wheelchair into her powerful and moving performance. Critics noted that Makenzie blends her mobility aids into the show “without needing to alter the story.”
Versatile and extremely talented, it’s incredible that Makenzie also shines as modern jazz dancer, artistically spinning and twirling, slinking and whirling with perfect execution of difficult dance moves.
Indeed, it’s a bit reminiscent of chorus lines dancing with the traditional cane and top hat while performing popular show tunes like “New York, New York.”
Recently, Makenzie Morgan Gomez made her Off-Broadway debut at Theatre Row in the role of Libby in Neil Simon’s “I Ought to Be In Pictures” and has been featured in Forbes Magazine and Health.com.
Real Inspiration, Boosted Ticket Sales
Makenzie danced professionally for over a decade before she began to experience autoimmune disorder symptoms and chronic musculoskeletal pain. She had no idea what was happening to her body until she was at long last diagnosed and treated.
Around that time, she began to be very inspired by the emerging “dynamically disabled” community of dancers online.
On the whole it is clear that both disabled and able-bodied audience members draw real inspiration from gutsy artists like Mak, as she is affectionately called.
It might seem that there would be resistance to the idea of audiences accepting disabled dancers, perhaps there once was, but things have changed. In fact, again and again audiences prove to be very excited about having the opportunity to see talented disabled performers of all types step (or roll) onto center-stage in theater productions. In truth, they’d like to see it happen a lot more often.
Now the ball is in the casting directors’ court to catch up with changing tastes.
To be sure, disabled performers provide much-needed inspiration now that approximately 18% of the American public is in some way disabled.
Although there has been enormous progress in recent years, disabled performers are still the most underrepresented group in film, television, and live performance.
Memorably, I attended a live theater production directed by the great Peter Sellers in 2003 that included an old man in a wheelchair who took a leading role in the action. I recall being struck by how powerful his scenes were, something I’d never seen on-stage. No doubt audiences agreed the bold move spoke to the director’s enormous creativity and talent.
To facilitate the inclusion of disabled performers, Makenzie Morgan Gomez has created Creative Adaptations to collaborate with creative professionals including casting directors, choreographers, and performers to incorporate inspiring disability-informed artistry in their productions. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if including disabled stars in film, television, and in theater productions boosted ticked sales just as much or more than including people of color in casts has been proven to boost box office sales.
Watch the music video here: https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwdance/article/Video-Disabled-Performer-Makenzie-Morgan-Gomez-Releases-Music-and-the-Mirror-Mobility-Aids-A-CHORUS-LINE-Performance-20241129