Temptations Musical Headed To Broadway Spring 2019

The story of legendary Motown group The Temptations is officially headed to Broadway in Spring 2019, titled ‘Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations’. While no official opening date has been set, producers confirmed on Thursday (23 August) that the musical production will run at the Imperial Theater in New York City.

From Tony-winning theatre director Des McAnuff, who’s helmed other smash jukebox musicals including ‘Jersey Boys’ which tells the story of the Four Seasons and ‘Summer: The Donna Summer Musical’.

‘Ain’t Too Product made its stage debut last September at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley, California, breaking box office records and becoming the highest-grossing production in the theatre’s nearly 50-year history, raking in over $3.1 million.

The show then made its East Coast premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC with rave reviews. The Washington Post writes:

“Disruption of a political sort might not ever have been a hallmark of the Temptations, even in the turbulent era in which the group found its voice, but ‘Ain’t Too Proud’manages to reveal how much turmoil is involved in the creation of the smoothest of sounds.”

It’s now currently playing at the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles, where dates will run through 30 September before heading up to Canada and playing at Ontario’s Princess of Wales starting on 11 October and will run through 27 November.

Award-winning playwright and Detroit native Dominique Morisseau wrote the book for ‘Ain’t Too Proud’, which traces the formation and career trajectory of Motown legends, focusing on the “Classic Five” era of the group and based upon the 2012 memoir by Otis Williams, the last survivor among the original group members.

Starring as the Temptations will be Derrick Baskin as Otis Williams, Ephraim Sykes as David Ruffin, James Harkness as Paul Williams, Jawan M Jackson as Melvin Franklin, Jeremy Pope as Eddie Kendricks.

This production continues the popular jukebox trend on Broadway, with pop music being the source material for best-selling shows. Following on the heels of ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ includes the upcoming Alanis Morissette musical, ‘Jagged Little Pill’, the Go-Go’s ‘Head Over Heels’ and ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’.

You can catch the current incarnation of The Temptations with Otis Williams on tour this summer and fall, promoting their new album All The Time, which was released this past May and features revamped versions of modern pop hits – including the Weeknd’s ‘Earned It’.

Explore our Temptations Artist Page.

Format: UK English