by Kayla Black
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations is the sixth show in this year’s Key Bank’s Broadway series at Playhouse Square. Set in the 1960’s the story follows the life of Otis Williams. The musical is his journey of brotherhood, and sacrifice as he works to create a record-breaking music group, no matter how many members it takes.
(L–R)-Marcus Paul James, Jalen Harris, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Harrell Holmes Jr., James T. Lanefrom the National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud.Credit: © 2021 Emilio Madrid
I silenced my cell phone, put it in my lap and bam, there was a flash of light and suddenly the “classic five” Temptations were standing on stage right in front of me. Well, not exactly. The five men I saw before me were Micheal, Jalen, Harrell, Elijah and James, playing the roles of Otis, Eddie, Melvin, David and Paul ( in that order.) Nevertheless, had I not known it wasn’t them, I would have believed I was seeing the real Temptations in concert. From the moment the five gentlemen stepped on stage the energy in the theater shot through the roof.
The opening number was so strong that before the group could sing the second verse people were already moving in their seats and singing along. The rest of the show was no different, while people stopped singing along, many continued to move in their seats, nod their heads to music and clap along to the beat. Whether it was the Temptations, the Cadilacs or the Supremes belting it out on stage, someone was dancing in their chair or calling out to the artist as if they were seeing them live at the Fox Theater in Detroit.
(L–R)-Traci Elaine Lee, Deri’Andra Tucker, Shayla Brielle G. fromthe National TouringCompany of Ain’t Too Proud.Credit: © 2021 EmilioMadrid.
Saying the show was good is an understatement as it was beyond incredible. The actors maintained the high energy from the opening number through the curtain call. Every note and movement was clean, sharp, precise and perfect, much like the real groups. Even the slight mess-ups were seamless, so much so, that if you blinked you probably didn’t even see it happen. Not only was the singing and dancing amazing, but it helped that the storyline was simple and easy to follow. The simplicity of the storyline allowed for the show to flow with ease. All it took was one line a spin move and poof the cast was back into performing another hit song.
Enjoyed by Gen Z and a Boomer
As someone born way after the Temptations rise to fame, I was able to attend the show alongside my aunt who grew up during the height of Motown music and the creation of the group. Sitting beside my Aunt I was able to find out more background information about the Temptations and how the musical compares to the real group. It was fascinating to learn that the show is very accurate when it comes to performance style, especially when it comes to vocal technique and sounding like the original records. Not only did I enjoy the show but my aunt enjoyed it as well, proving that this is a multi-generational show for all.
Derrick-Baskin,,Jawan M Jackson, Jeremy Pope,,James Harkness and Ephraim-Sykes (front)
Joy, excitement, rage, and sorrow
While the show was always high energy it wasn’t always happy, since it is based on a true story. That being said, be prepared to experience a rollercoaster of emotions from joy and excitement to rage and sorrow. Although the show gets sad, it’s a good cry and before you know it you’ll be right back to smiling and clapping along to the music. Ain’t too Proud is a well-balanced spectacle and by the time it ends you’ll most likely be adding it to your list of favorite shows or scrambling to figure out a date to see it again before it leaves.