Follow the group’s extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, set to the beat of their beloved hits.
Otis Williams (Rudy Foster) has dreams of starting a band and becoming the number one Motown artist. He recruits Melvin (Jameson Clanton), Paul (Bryce Valle), Eddie (Josiah Travis Kent Rogers), and David (Cedric Jamaal Greene) to form The Temptations.
Of course, the Temptations are an iconic American band, but I did not know about their story. This musical is the perfect entryway if you know the music but not the people behind it. The show covers all of their hits.
I never realized how long the band lasted and how much they struggled. It was interesting to find out, but this show feels like the CliffsNotes version of their story. It’s a fast-paced show, covering a significant amount of time and many different people. But my main gripe is that it doesn’t dive deep into any aspect of their history. For example, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that The Temptations had a rivalry with The Supremes, but this musical never does more than mention that. On the plus side, though, you also hear a few songs from The Supremes.
Otis serves as the show’s narrator, which took me a bit of getting used to. Typically, musicals use songs as a form of exposition. However, the actors here are just covering songs from The Temptations, so the audience still needs to understand and follow along with the story, hence the narration. This was a nitpick for me about the show. This choice made it akin to hearing about this band instead of reading the Wikipedia page.
The band’s heart and soul is Otis, while the others follow fame and greed. That doesn’t mean Otis didn’t also have his troubles, though. He was a distant father and husband, away recording or on tour for months out of the year. He also married his wife when she was still a minor.
The struggles of the other members tend to be more typical of what musicians and celebrities face. Drugs, alcohol, money, and fame led to this band’s eventual downfall. I thought each of the actors did a great job. They had great vocals, and they each had a distinct personality. Again, I wish we got more than surface-level information about them.
This showing of “Ain’t Too Proud” is only here in Dallas at the Winspear Opera House for a short time, but this ensemble was fantastic. People were quietly singing, clapping, and dancing in their seats when their favorite song started playing. It was a fun time.
“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations”
recently performed at the Winspear Opera House, May 1-4
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