Not Just Your Imagination

As an elder millennial, my adoration of the 50s and 60s sound was rarely understood by my contemporaries, most of whom were saving their allowance for NSYNC tickets. But, you see, I was born a generation too late. The rise of Motown is a seminal moment in music history, and to have witnessed the ascent would have been ideal but, alas, I must rely on books, movies and jukebox musicals to transport me to times gone by. Thus it was with great excitement that I marched over to the Imperial Theatre and purchased one of the last four partial view for Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations (note: when the ticket agent tells you it's partial view, that's a truth fact--how many gents were in the group? I usually only saw three). While the show suffers from a bit of a lack of focus, Ain’t Too Proud has a couple of things going for it: The Temptations music catalog and Sergio Trujillo’s choreography. 

Ain’t Too Proud is a jukebox musical in the vein of Jersey Boys and Beautiful, wherein the group's music catalog is used to tell the story of the group itself. In this case, Otis Williams (played by Curtis Wiley on this night) acts as narrator for the story of a group that rockets to fame and subsequently struggles to navigate the positive and negative consequences of such a meteoric rise. And Williams, whose personality and ambition put him in the role of de facto leader, fights to keep The Temps together and relevant. Surrounding it all, a tale as old as time: sex, drugs and rock and roll. 

Dominque Morisseau’s book keeps the action moving. With families back home, members spiraling into addiction and the surrounding political climate, there is enough drama to fill a couple of musicals. The moments that touch on the growing civil rights movement are strong. In fact, the scene in which the group learns of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the most powerful in the show. That said, because most of the drama takes place within the group itself, the forays into the outside world somehow feel a little out of place. Morisseau faced a difficult task. Ignoring the political climate would have been ignoring an important component to the group's rise but highlighting only the group dynamics is perhaps more suitable to the style of show.

What is not out of place is Sergio Trujillo’s Tony-winning choreography. As one who longs for the days of synchronized man dancing, Trujillo’s choreography is spot on. The knees, the hips, the arms and wrists pop, bend and swoop in perfect synchronization. The entire cast does a stellar job of making the moves look like second nature.

And, of course, there is the music. Most Temps songs are a variation on a theme: love. Loss of love, longing for love, begging for love, The Temps covered it from all angles. The hits ("My Girl," "For Once in My Life") no doubt receive just as raucous a greeting every night as they did on this chilly fall evening. Thirty one songs are listed in the Playbill and pretty much every single one causes an eruption of applause. Sometimes the musical numbers feel packed in, perhaps not given room to breathe, but they are all hits, not a bad apple in the bushel. 

Ain't Too Proud may not be a perfect musical but the dancing, shiny suits and incredible music combine to make it a perfectly fun night out.