Monday Musical - Ain't Too Proud to Beg

Treated myself to a musical last Sunday and it was a good one.   Ain't Too Proud to Beg tells the story of The Temptations. Lots of drama with  a ton  of dancing and that amazing Motown sound. 

The show was developed from the last surviving Temptation - Otis Williams' memoir. How he left the South, hit the streets of Detroit, formed a group, combined later with another  group, and put together the unique sound of The Temptations is all played out in quite a saga. Add the power of Berry Gordy and his Motown machine, plus the song writing talent of Smokey Robinson, and you had hit after hit. 

Ain't Too Proud to Beg, Ball of Confusion, Just My Imagination, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone, Cloud Nine, I Wish It  Would Rain, and so so many more...

The singer/actors in this production were stupendous. The original Temptations - Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Otis Williams, Paul Williams, and David Ruffin - were buddies, brothers in soul, but ultimately fame, drugs, alcohol, wore some members down and the group splintered. 

This musical gives us the happy with the sad in the searing lyrics and soulful  renditions of songs. I came away applauding, humming, and tapping my feet. Excellent  Broadway touring production.