The previously-announced jukebox musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations has officially shared the dates for its Broadway run. The musical, which draws from the songbook of hits from the 1960s and 70s Motown band, will begin performances on Broadway starting Thursday, February 28, 2019, with an official opening night set for Thursday, March 21, 2019. Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations will play Broadway’s Imperial Theatre, recently-vacated by the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel.
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations has already dazzled audiences during its run at Berkeley Repertory Theatre where it became the venue’s highest-grossing production in its 50-year history. From there, the musical went on to play Washington D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where the show broke the all-time single-week box office record for the Eisenhower Theater.
Kennedy Prize-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau will provide the musical’s book, marrying such well-known Temptations song standards as “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” to a compelling look at the band’s story. Des McAnuff (The Who’s Tommy, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical) will direct the show, with Sergio Trujillo. (On Your Feet!, Memphis) staging the choreography.
The creative team for Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations will conclude Tony Award nominee Robert Brill (scenic design), Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell (costume design), Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (lighting design), Tony Award winner Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Drama Desk Award winner Peter Nigrini (projection design), Charles G. LaPointe (hair and wig design),Edgar Godineaux (associate choreographer), and Steve Rankin (fight direction). Orchestrations are by Drama Desk Award winner Harold Wheeler with Music Direction and Arrangements by Kenny Seymour.
“Ain’t Too Proud is the electrifying new musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. The rest is history — how they met, how they rose, the groundbreaking heights they hit, and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the United States fell into civil unrest. This thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal is set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits.”
More information about Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, including official casting for its Broadway berth, will be made available as the production evolves.
Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals, The Disney Song Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs. He maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.