AIN'T TOO PROUD The Life And Times Of The Temptations REVIEW January 24, 2023 Eclectic Arts
Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations
Book by: Dominique Morisseau
Directed by: Des McAnuff
Premera Blue Cross Broadway At The Paramount
Seattle, WA
Review: Tuesday January 24, 2023
When a musical jukebox comes to town, I expect great songs and (in this case) great choreography. Both were delivered in spades last night at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. “Ain’t Too Proud” opened up on Tuesday evening to many Motown fans as well as more traditional musical theatre patrons.
The story of Otis Williams and from his point of view how The Temptations came to be, their success, their tragedies over the years, and their longevity is quite honestly secondary to the classic songs they recorded and performed. Even if you don’t know the name, you surely have heard at least one or more of their tunes before and just didn’t know who the artist was. “My Girl” anyone?
This isn’t to say the performances weren’t great because they were. Each of the five artists portraying the group as well as the other characters were just a joy to behold. Voices were for the most part on point. If you want to hear an exact replica of The Temptations, that’s not what is delivered. You get the musical theatre style of The Temptations. But boy could all of them sing!
The award winning choreography was all through the show. It must have been a tall order for each artist to learn all of those moves. As a minor quibble, the choreography on stage needed to be a bit tighter for this reviewer. If you’ve ever seen the original group perform on television or in person, they were as locked in as could be. They flowed like one person, not five separate performers. Again, I loved the choreography; it was just a little loose at times. When it found that next gear and flowed like it should, it was magical.
I’ve been extremely fortunate to cover (photograph and review) some of the legends mentioned in the show such as Smokey Robinson and Mary Wilson (rest in power). I remember at each of those performances, the sheer history behind each of these legends elevated the experience to me to another level.
Seeing the show last night reminded me of those experiences albeit in a different sort of way. “Ain’t Too Proud” is a feel good time about one of the greatest music groups to ever record or perform music.
“Ain’t Too Proud” runs through Sunday February 5th. Tickets are available here: TICKETS!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
Book by: Dominique Morisseau
Directed by: Des McAnuff
Premera Blue Cross Broadway At The Paramount
Seattle, WA
Review: Tuesday January 24, 2023
((L–R)-Harrell Holmes Jr., Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Jalen Harris, Marcus Paul James, James T. Lanefrom the National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud. Credit: © 2021 Emilio Madrid)
When a musical jukebox comes to town, I expect great songs and (in this case) great choreography. Both were delivered in spades last night at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. “Ain’t Too Proud” opened up on Tuesday evening to many Motown fans as well as more traditional musical theatre patrons.
The story of Otis Williams and from his point of view how The Temptations came to be, their success, their tragedies over the years, and their longevity is quite honestly secondary to the classic songs they recorded and performed. Even if you don’t know the name, you surely have heard at least one or more of their tunes before and just didn’t know who the artist was. “My Girl” anyone?
This isn’t to say the performances weren’t great because they were. Each of the five artists portraying the group as well as the other characters were just a joy to behold. Voices were for the most part on point. If you want to hear an exact replica of The Temptations, that’s not what is delivered. You get the musical theatre style of The Temptations. But boy could all of them sing!
(Original Broadway Company of Aint’Too Proud. Photo by Matthew Murphy)
The award winning choreography was all through the show. It must have been a tall order for each artist to learn all of those moves. As a minor quibble, the choreography on stage needed to be a bit tighter for this reviewer. If you’ve ever seen the original group perform on television or in person, they were as locked in as could be. They flowed like one person, not five separate performers. Again, I loved the choreography; it was just a little loose at times. When it found that next gear and flowed like it should, it was magical.
I’ve been extremely fortunate to cover (photograph and review) some of the legends mentioned in the show such as Smokey Robinson and Mary Wilson (rest in power). I remember at each of those performances, the sheer history behind each of these legends elevated the experience to me to another level.
Seeing the show last night reminded me of those experiences albeit in a different sort of way. “Ain’t Too Proud” is a feel good time about one of the greatest music groups to ever record or perform music.
“Ain’t Too Proud” runs through Sunday February 5th. Tickets are available here: TICKETS!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
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