The trend of biomusicals about musicians and their lives and careers has reached
The Temptations, one of the most successful groups to come out of Motown.
Ain't Too Proud is based on a book written by Otis Williams, one of the founding members, and the musical's book was written by acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau, whose
plays have been produced by Penumbra Theatre and Yellow Tree Theatre (the latter did
Skeleton Crew two years before its recent Broadway premiere). The musical is similar in structure to
Jersey Boys, one of the first (and in my opinion best) biomusicals, which follows the life of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. In both musicals the story of the group is narrated by its members, but there's just one narrator here - Otis Williams. He tells the story of The Temptations directly to the audience, from their formation, to their early hits, to the rotating door of members. And it's chock full of great Motown hits of the '60s and '70s, by other artists as well as The Temptations. This traveling cast is truly phenomenal and brings great energy to the show, and a good time was had by all.
Join the celebration on Hennepin Avenue through July 10.
