National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud. (Credit: © 2021 Emilio Madrid.)
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations
Paramount Theatre
Through February 5, 2023 get more info and tickets here.
The Temptations are one of the greatest groups ever to come out of Motown. Equaling The Supremes for popularity, The Temptations had a long road, a revolving membership door, and a long list of popular hits that have become staples in the American Musical Library. The title says it all: Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations, and it’s playing for two weeks at the Paramount Theatre!
The storyline follows the rise of The Temptations, the group which started as the brainchild of Otis Williams. Growing up in Texas and singing Gospel, Otis sees the future of music and starts to collect good singers from the neighborhood. They include Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Al Bryant, and (base vocals) Melvin Franklin. Once they bring in the showman lead of David Ruffin, the group gets signed by Berry Gordy of the Motown Label. The show follows the highs and lows of the group, the fights and demons, the drugs, drinking the women, and egos that infect showbiz friendships and families. Several members get replaced (some quit, while others get fired), but as the saying goes, The Show Must Go On, and as Otis says through the production, “The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the Parts”, and no matter what; The Temptations continue as a group, producing hit after hit after hit.
The musical is a love song (literally) to the music of Motown with a heavy focus on The Temptations. In fact, the music and lyrics are credited to: “The Legendary Motown Catalog” due to the many familiar hits performed by other members of Motown as well. The cast is excellent and deliver the energy that such songs like “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”, “Papa Was a Rollin Stone”, “Shout”, and “I Can’t Get Next to You” demand. The Temptations were of their times, when groups meant a group sound that harmonized, as well giving each member a time to showcase their own vocals.
The cast all do wonderful performances. Amber Mariah Talley, Shayla Brielle G, and Brittny Smith are perfect as The Supremes. Omar Madden did a great parody of Smokey Robinson’s soprano voice. Devin Holloway is an added enjoyment as Temptation Replacement, Richard Street. Jeremy Kelsey portrayed the smooth-talking Berry Gordy, and the entire cast added that little extra that makes a musical an enjoyable production.
The five main stars do fantastic jobs. Harrell Holmes, Jr (Melvin Franklin) has a deep base voice that will make your toes curl. Jalen Harris (Eddie Kendricks) has the elfish appearance and voice that makes songs like “My Gril” a pleasure to hear. Elijah Ahmad Lewis (David Ruffin) is pure showman, stealing the scenes and strutting around the stage – and he has a good time doing it! His personality is infectious and he is a delight to watch. E. Clayton Cornelious (Paul Williams) brings a compact energy to the stage. His presence is comical at first and then grows with strength. We, the audience, are taken along and are grateful. Michael Andreaus (Otis Williams) is the narrator of the show. He is the one that develops the idea of a musical group opposed to being caught up in the street life of Detroit. He does his best to keep the group together, and Mr. Andreaus shows the struggles of doing exactly that.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations is an enjoyable show. It’s more than just a jukebox recitation of Motown hits. The group’s story, while sharing certain aspects of showbiz life with many other personalities, is very compelling and relatively unknown to most. The music will have you tapping your toes or bouncing your palm against your knee. It’s fun, and will have you leave the theatre with great songs to send you home.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations opened on Broadway in March 2019. Due to Covid, the production was suspended (as were all others) until October 16, 2021. It finally closed, after a total of 488 performances. It was nominated for 11 Tony Awards that season and won Best Choreography.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations
Paramount Theatre
Through February 5, 2023 get more info and tickets here.
