So he thinks he can dance? Well, he can.
Misha Gabriel, who grew up and learned to dance in Larkspur, is one of the top backup dancers around, stomping for Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff, Chris Brown and Christina Aguilera.
But his biggest score was being picked as one of the 12 dancers to back up Michael Jackson’s This Is It concert tour. That dream faded when the star died June 25. Misha was on stage for the memorial service but declined to discuss it with me. His mom, dance instructor Irene Brecher, said he was very upset about the entire experience.
He was able to go on “Larry King Live” on July 3 and talk to guest host Anderson Cooper. He explained to Cooper that the show was “pushing the limits of rock ‘n’ roll and pushing the limits of dance. Michael, himself, had . . . a completely new arsenal of movement, which they had never seen before.”
Cooper asked Gabriel about the loss of this huge opportunity. “I mean, you had this high of getting in the show and then to have this happen.”
Gabriel said, “It’s been devastating. . . . When (Jackson) gets on stage, he just channels something inside of you and really got the best out of us. . . . His energy on stage, especially that last week of his life, was unbelievable. I mean, the guy was on fire.”
Toga! Toga!
John Belushi would be proud.
Brian and James Williston are hosting Togas 4 Tatas on Saturday at Jackson’s LoDo. They expect 1,500 people, all in togas, to make the scene to help the Andre Center for Breast Cancer Navigation & Education. The agency helps men and women without insurance deal with breast cancer.
Brian, a pilot, has been thinking about throwing a toga party for years — and he’s never even been to one. “The reason we do this is just that we have dealt with a lot of cancer with family and friends in our young lives already, and we just want all this energy to flow in a positive direction.”
To this end, the party will feature two stages, four bands (Lion SoulJahs, Camp Nirvana, Dirt and Dressy Bessy) and an eight-table beer pong tournament. Go to .
Fire!
The annual Fired Up For Kids calendar-selection party came down March 27. More than 50 firefighters showed up to be one of the 15 featured in the calendar — and it’s a crowd pleaser. Firefighters tend to be, er, in shape.
Jim Smith, a 53-year-old firefighter from Aurora, was chosen to be one of the pinups. That makes him the oldest flame foe ever to appear in the datekeeper in its six-year history. “Well, I’m quite tickled about it,” he said.
“He’s a great pick,” says calendar boss Kirsten Hamling, thinking a little maturity might even help sales.
The bad news: Smith broke a leg big time in a training accident last month — but he’s recovering well. You go, dood!
City spirit
. Auction at noon today at Fay Shwayder’s estate, 6050 W. Jewell Ave. in Lakewood, with lotsa antiques and interesting items from the family that owned Samsonite. . . . Sez who: “For me, the creative process, first of all, requires a good nine hours of sleep a night.” — Nobel-winning chemist William Lipscomb Jr.
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at .
