Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. Courtesy of Broadway in Indianapolis. Used with permission.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations – Courtesy of Broadway in Indianapolis. Used with permission.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. Courtesy of Broadway in Indianapolis. Used with permission.
As a Boomer, I have fond memories of my high school and college years during the late 60s, and the music of the vocal group The Temptations was an integral part of my experience during those impressionable and formative years. Thus, it was with great anticipation that I attended Tuesday’s opening night performance of “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations,” presented by Broadway in Indianapolis at Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University.
A musical, with music and lyrics by the Temptations and book by Dominique Morisseau, the show premiered on Broadway in 2018. The original group made a name for themselves in Detroit, where they released hit singles and albums with Motown Records, under the tutelage of legendary record producer and impresario Berry Gordy, during the 1960s and 1970s. Pioneers of psychedelic soul and significant in the development of R&B and soul music, the group, under producer Norman Whitfield, was known for their snappy choreography, complex harmonies, and distinctive dress style. Having sold an astonishing number of albums, the Temptations are among the most celebrated groups in popular music.
Expecting that the musical would be just another juke box review, I was surprised to learn that it was also essentially a documentary, which detailed the backstories of each of the original and subsequent members of the group. Morisseau, who wrote the book, did an excellent job of writing a script that captured an era and artists who helped create a cultural legacy. Her well-written script was not only informative but entertaining and very moving at times in revealing the singers’ struggles with addiction, rivalry, narcissism, heartbreak, and fame, problems not atypical in the world of show business. Not a totally bleak tale, there was lighthearted humor represented in their story as well.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations – Courtesy of Broadway in Indianapolis. Used with permission.
Michael Williams played the solid founder of the Temptations, Otis Williams, with exemplary skill, and also served as the story’s narrator. Equally as convincing were the actors who played the other members of the original group. They consisted of E. Clayton Cornelious as Paul Williams, Harrell Holmes Jr as Melvin Franklin, Jalen Harris as Eddie Kendricks, and Elijah Ahmad Lewis as David Ruffin, the self-absorbed diva of the group. All of them fine actors, these men were also astonishingly talented singers as well.
Also deserving of praise were the trio who played the Supremes, the Motown group whose rise to stardom was parallel with that of the Temptations. They were played by Amber Mariah Talley as Diana Ross, Shayla Brielle G as Florence Ballard, and Brittny Smith as Mary Wilson. Turning in noteworthy performances as well were Jeremy Kelsey as Berry Gordy and Omar Madden as Smokey Robinson.
As far as the music itself, those present, based on my observations, were primarily Boomers like me who were hearing the sound track of their youth as we were all enveloped in sweet nostalgia listening to songs such as “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Cloud Nine,” “Get Ready,” “I Wish It Would Rain,” “Just My Imagination,” “My Girl,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “War,” “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” and so many more.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations – Courtesy of Broadway in Indianapolis. Used with permission.
Overall, the acting, singing, and dancing of the leads and ensemble was universally excellent, under the masterful direction of Des McAnuff with all the performers executing Sergio Trujillo’s impressive choreography with effortless and artful skill.
Additionally, the 60s-70s era costumes, designed by Paul Tazewell, were beautifully accurate in the style and flavor of the period. The show’s interesting sets, designed by Robert Brill, mostly consisted of backdrops of marquees depicting cities and theatres the Temptations played during their years on the road. Finally, as can be expected for a Broadway musical of any kind, the sound design of Steve Canyon Kennedy for this production was impeccable. Lastly, in this particular show the lighting of concerts and television shows had to be duplicated, and lighting designer Howell Binkley did it marvelously. Finally, interpreting the instrumental elements of The Temptations’ music was a huge artistic responsibility, and music director-conductor-keyboardist Johnathan “Smitty” Smith and his five-piece band did so brilliantly.
“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” continues through Sunday. If you read this and are so inspired, I highly recommend you see it not only for its entertainment value, but also for its more serious message about equality and equity of which the Temptations were champions by using their art to foster change culturally, socially, and politically.
For tickets and information visit indianapolis.broadway.com.
