Thirteen-year-old Austin Rankin embodies the idea that age is just a number — particularly when it comes to talent. The Vegas-born singer could be on his way to joining a list of child prodigies from Michael Jackson to Justin Bieber.
Rankin might not be famous yet, but watch a video of him performing the Jackson 5’s “The Love You Save” at The Smith Center, and it’s clear he has a gift. That performance, part of local nonprofit theater company Broadway In The Hood’s annual showcase, is delivered with such power, grace, and confidence, it’s hard to believe stardom is not Rankin’s destiny.
His father, Anthony Rankin, first noticed his son’s talent at the age of five or six. He recalls, “I heard him singing, and just stopped everything that I was doing and was like, ‘What is that?’ ‘Did you hear him?’ And she (Austin’s mother, Evelyn Rankin) was like, ‘Honey, I’ve been hearing him.’ So, it’s like, we have to do something with this.”
And they did. In the summer of 2021, Austin Rankin’s parents enrolled him in Broadway in The Hood for musical theater training. Like his parents, artistic director Torrey Russell saw something special in Austin.
“The thing I love about acting is I get to express my feelings through different characters,” Rankin says. “Whatever the character’s feeling, that’s how I could feel. And it helps me learn more about myself.”
From playing Flounder in The Little Mermaid to Rooster in Annie, he has amassed a decent repertoire, but there’s no doubt his standout role is his current one as Little Michael in the four-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, MJ The Musical.
The show explores Michael Jackson’s life stages, and Rankin plays him during the Jackson 5 era, performing the group’s iconic numbers. With Russell’s help, Rankin sent a taped audition to the musical’s casting team in New York City and got the role.
Perhaps another sign of destiny: Rankin’s inspiration is MJ himself. “The way he moves and sings,” he says, “It’s just so cool to see him in action.”
A child’s success often depends on their parents’ sacrifice. Austin and Anthony Rankin had to pack up and temporarily move to New York for MJ The Musical while the rest of his family stayed behind.
“Never have I been away from my wife,” Anthony Rankin says. “But, I would do it again if I had to, because we saw something in him.”
Their sacrifices don’t go unappreciated. “To know that they love me unconditionally and they would sacrifice to be across the country, just for me,” Austin Rankin says. “It means so much.”
When someone’s truly gifted, it’s not just about how they do it, but why.
“I just love to bring smiles to people’s faces while performing,” he says, “because inside, I know that even if I was watching something, I would love to smile. I want to give people what I would want.”
As far as destiny goes, this one’s pretty sweet.
