I saw this musical on the weekend. What a performance. It leaves Toronto for Broadway, next week. So lucky to see it and so blown away by the performances. They go through all the hits and address all of the "warts". Pretty powerful. See it if you get the chance. My partner liked it better than Motown the Musical...the story is stronger, but I liked them both and absolutely loved the music, the staging and acting.
So glad to hear, thanks for sharing your review. I will be seeing it this weekend :)
Thanks for sharing. Tickets will soon go on sale in NYC, and I am buying them in advance and then hoping that there will be no snowstorm that day.
Loved Motown the Musical.
I know I will love the music of Tempts musical and I am glad to hear that it will have a strong book.
Carlo, hope you post your opinion here after seeing it
Yasssss!!!!!!
Ooooh, this sounds great! Thanks for the info drlorne. If this comes to the UK I would love to see it.
Wonder if it will come to the West End in the UK?
Oh I do hope it reaches the West End
I saw "Ain't Too Proud" in Toronto and loved it. Friends with me, who also saw "The Jersey Boys," which was produced by the same crew at this play, commented on how "dark" the stage set was throughout the play. Perhaps a foreshadowing of the the events to play out. Overall, a great evening of entertainment, but not quite up to the standards of Motown The Musical. Just a few points.
# The non Motown Musical numbers should be replaced with "Primes / Primettes musical number. Diana Ross & The Supremes appear later in the play for a song, so the characters are already there.
Here is a review
#At the end of the play, mention is made that there were 23 Temptations over the decades. "Temps" indeed!
Attachment 14820
#At the end of the play, mention is made that there were 23 Temptations over the decades. "Temps" indeed!
I count 24
edafan
Oops! Right you are, it is 24 Temptations!
Attachment 14822
Have not seen this one, however it would seem to me that this story had both Otis book and the film based on that book to use as a starting point, in other words, the structure for the story had already been set...likely making it easier to follow and cohesively tell the story since it had already been told twice, both in print and on the small screen...Motown the Musical had so many resources, stories, and a variety of books with varying perspectives to go by, along with public perception, that it was likely much more difficult to organize it all into a cohesive story with accompanying musical numbers throughout...Quote:
Originally Posted by drlorne
Oops! Right you are, it is 24 Temptations!
They probably forgot Ricky " 1 performance" Owens in 1971
edafan
We saw the show last night in Toronto and apparently it is the last show before it heads over to broadway. I don't know if the cast always performs with that much energy, emotion and passion, or if it was because it was the last show of the pre-broadway run. Either way, we were blown away. I have seen many broadway musicals and plays, and I have never heard or seen an audience give that much of an intense standing ovation. The show was incredible. My husband and I both thought it was way better than Motown the Musical. We felt it was due to the book being more consistent throughout, without sudden changes between characters and storylines. I felt Motown was a bit too frantic with the pacing. This was also quickly paced, but seemed to do a better job with reflecting the music, story and people in a more authentic way. It really captured the spirit of the Temptations. I saw Motown the Musical both in Toronto and New York and felt at times it seemed to be a shadow of the original artists, comparable to a Motown tribute show. With the Temptations, I felt like I was transported back to the 60's and watching the real thing. This original cast is simply outstanding. The singing was off the charts and the choreography was electric and tight. Last night, Eddie Kendricks was played by the understudy, but we would have never guessed. I believe the actors and production staff really did their homework, as the singing styles, sound and mannerisms made it seem like I was watching the real David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, etc. The gentleman playing Dennis even sort of looked like the legend himself. I caught myself getting emotional throughout various moments of the musical, as you could really feel the intensity of their love and legacy. I enjoyed the movie, but this was even better. The musical is narrated by the Otis Williams role throughout, and at times it comes off as a little cheesy, but is also endearing. This could possibly be the best musical I've seen. I don't want to give too much away, so all I can say is that if you're a member here, you need to RUN to see this. Don't miss your chance. This is gonna be HOT on Broadway! Well done!!
Wow, what a great review Carlo. I am looking forward to seeing this in NYC. It does not arrive here til late Feb, and it is dangerous to buy tickets in advance and then have a great snowstorm. But I definately am not going to miss this.
From your review, it seems like this is a tighter book than Motown the Musical, and since it spotlights one act rather than the whole lineup, it can go into more depth and not criss cross all over the place trying to spotlight the whole lineup.
Tempts have a great history. Where did the story stop? Did it go up to the point where Otis is the only original member and still touring? Did it mention many of the replacement Tempts.
Thanks for the review and also, I saw some personal news in your post. Congrats, and as always, stay happy
Here is an in-depth rundown of Temptation Members......Quote:
Originally Posted by edafan
https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...ht=Ricky+Owens
Yes, I know you will love it, Milven! Looking forward to your review, once you see it in NYC.Quote:
Originally Posted by milven
They covered the entire history. They mentioned some of the replacement Tempts from the early 70's, but glossed over the rest of them and made some jokes about how the name "The Tempts" was ironic, since the group became "the temps", due to having many temporary members. They covered the reunion album and tour, as well as the decline of the original Tempts, including David, Eddie, etc., as well as some of Otis' personal life. They also conclude the musical with a nice monologue delivered by Otis, regarding the Temptations' everlasting legacy and he mentions that he has kept the group going all of these years and the group will always live on, even beyond him.
Thanks for the congrats and kind words :)
One other thing I forgot to mention is that I found it strange that they didn't mention The Primettes. However, The Supremes are in the musical. I didn't love the Supremes' choreography in the musical, as it was a little too intense compared to their subtle swaying in real life, but I can understand that they needed to give their movements a 'higher broadway energy' in order to maintain the show's energy and to appeal to the masses.
I also loved some of the subtle visual tributes throughout, such as headlining The Velvelettes on one of the rosters that was displayed on the screen.
Good review; it makes sense for us fans that the ability to have a more cohesive focused story could make this a more enjoyable show than Motown the Musical
Wow, what a great review! Thank you so much for posting, as I am now deciding what date or dates I will be attending.Quote:
Originally Posted by carlo
https://www.telecharge.com/Broadway/...tions/Overview