NY Reviews: B'way 'Ain't Too Proud' musical

[zani57]

New York Times review --

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/theater/aint-too-proud-review-the-temptations.html


From Deadline Hollywood --

https://deadline.com/2019/03/aint-too-proud-broadway-review-temptations-motown-1202578565/

From The Washington Post --


https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/the-temptations-are-now-a-broadway-musical-theyre-going-to-make-you-love-them-again/2019/03/21/58132f74-4be2-11e9-93d0-64dbcf38ba41_story.html?utm_term=.3443b7742ed9


From The Wall Street Journal --


https://www.wsj.com/articles/aint-too-proud-the-life-and-times-of-the-temptations-review-soulful-songs-leaden-book-11553214600


From The [[U.K.) Guardian --

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/mar/21/aint-too-proud-review-thrilling-music-but-shallow-drama-in-temptations-musical


From The Daily Beast --


https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-temptations-broadway-jukebox-musical-aint-too-proud-is-a-gold-standard-triumph

[snakepit]

Thanks for these reviews.
How does "If you don't know me by now" fit in?

[milven]

Thanks for these reviews.
How does "If you don't know me by now" fit in?

In the scene where Otis' wife tells him that she wants to end their marriage, she sings part of the song to him, and gives a powerful renditon of the song. Then center stage, the other four Tempts join in and sing a bit more of the song

I was wondering if there was a Motown song that could have served the same purpose

[TomatoTom123]

That is quite odd, considering the song had nothing to do with The Tempts or Motown, really. Half the audience will probably leave thinking it was a Temptations song. :rolleyes:

[snakepit]

The journalists certainly think so :[[

[milven]

The journalists certainly think so :[[

Ain’t Too Proud even [[...unnecessarily) pads its roster by mining the larger Motown catalogue for songs not typically associated with the guys onstage [[“For Once in My Life,” “War,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”).


I just some of the above reviews and see that IF YOU DONT KNOW ME is referred to as a Motown song. As I said, out of the entire Motown catalogue, there must have been at least one song that could have been used in the scene where Otis's wife says that she is ending the marriage. But I can't think of any. Can anyone else?

There was a reason for using Edwin Starr's WAR. The song was recorded by the Tempts, but there was a scene where Berry insisted that he would not release it as a single because it would hurt the TEMPTS with their crossover audience and so Norman recorded it with Edwin and denied the TEMPTS a number one hit. Another instance where Berry was wrong.

I saw the play this weekend and enjoyed it. But I am a Motown fan and would expect nothing else from me. The guys who played the Tempts were exceptional and sounded good. And since I was sitting in the very first row and had to look up to see the perfomance, I can attest that all of them had trimmed their nose hairs ;)

As a Broadway fan, I guess the only thing that I can criticize is that the setting was bare minimul and I always enjoyed complicated moving sets on the Broadway stage. But it will be an easy show to travel and tour the country.

Even if I were not a Motown fan, I would have enjoyed the show. The Tempts had a lot of drama in the group and much of it was contained in the book, including the Tammi/David drama, the drugs, the firings, the comebacks, the health problems, the deaths and the egos.

[milven]

This is from Jimmy Fallon's TONIGHT SHOW


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MylIy6Joso

[edafan]

Here is a picture of Otis, Berry, & 5 actors Temps
15314

edafan

[mistercarter2u]

I loved the show; thought it was well done, but I hated that they threw "If You Don't Know Me By Now" in the middle of it. A non-Motown song! Grrrrh! The woman beside me turned to her husband and said "Ah...I didn't know they did that song!" I hated that. It skews the story and makes it less credible when they toss in songs that do not belong there!

[luckyluckyme]

Although for those in the know, the Temptations are not the group one most associates with "If You Don't Know Me By Now", they did back Jean Carn on her cover of the tune on her 1982 album, "Trust Me".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOiFzf6gdaU

[luckyluckyme]

Ain’t Too Proud even [[...unnecessarily) pads its roster by mining the larger Motown catalogue for songs not typically associated with the guys onstage [[“For Once in My Life,” “War,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”).


I just some of the above reviews and see that IF YOU DONT KNOW ME is referred to as a Motown song. As I said, out of the entire Motown catalogue, there must have been at least one song that could have been used in the scene where Otis's wife says that she is ending the marriage. But I can't think of any. Can anyone else?.......

Perhaps she could have sung a few lines of The Marvelettes " The Day You Take One [[You Have To Take The Other) and then said something like "Over the years I came to realize that I really didn't have to take the other, the neglect, the lying, the cheating. Especially seeing that you chose so many other women over me"

[StuBass1]

Consensus from folks I've spoken with appears to be...Weak storyline...terrific songs...

[TomatoTom123]

Although for those in the know, the Temptations are not the group one most associates with "If You Don't Know Me By Now", they did back Jean Carn on her cover of the tune on her 1982 album, "Trust Me".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOiFzf6gdaU

I didn't know about that, thanks lucky!

But, even though I had no idea that The Tempts were actually involved in a studio recording of the song, I don't think that's what the musical is referencing when they starting singing to it... :rolleyes:

[milven]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTsLaTFm7ro

[Roberta75]

Consensus from folks I've spoken with appears to be...Weak storyline...terrific songs...

Id agree with that. I loved it in LA. The music and the perforamnces are real great but the storys a bit weak. Still Id go see it again in a heartbeat.

[Bluebrock]

Although for those in the know, the Temptations are not the group one most associates with "If You Don't Know Me By Now", they did back Jean Carn on her cover of the tune on her 1982 album, "Trust Me".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOiFzf6gdaU
I have this album, and this is a great version of a great song. Still no reason to include the song in this show,