Full confession: I’m a Detroit girl, born and raised.
Motown was the soundtrack of my youth—yes, I’m aware that everyone who grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s could claim the same, but it was different in the Motor City, where Berry Gordy’s Motown held fierce pride of place in our hearts.
So it’s no surprise that I was eagerly anticipating the Chicago opening of “Motown the Musical” (book by Berry Gordy, music and lyrics from the Legendary Motown Catalog), and I’m happy to say that not only did it not disappoint, it thrilled.
In this case, the press release blurb (“You’ll be dancing in your seats!”) was not mere hyperbole. The entire audience was rocking out to the music of Motown.
When I interviewed co-producer Kevin McCollum a few months ago, he bridled at the suggestion that “Motown the Musical” was a jukebox musical. After seeing the show myself, I can understand why. Unlike a compendium of assorted hard rock hits (hello, “Rock of Ages”), this is music that has real meaning behind it.
This is the music of a generation that witnessed the end of segregation; the public protests around the Vietnam War; the assassinations of JFK and MLK, Jr.; and the race riots of the ‘60s. It was pop music, yes; but it chronicled a time of important change in America. The music of Motown helped unite people of all races.
I loved the way that the music—more than 50 classic Motown hits—was incorporated into the story. At times, it was performed as in a concert; at others, it became the background or scene change music. And although the story is largely told chronologically (bracketed by scenes of the famed 1983 Motown 25th Anniversary concert), there were times when a character sang a fitting song out of sequence to fit the situation.
Director Charles Randolph-Wright kept the scenes moving, often literally. Video panels crisscrossed the stage, lending kinetic energy to many scenes in the highly effective scenic design of David Korins. From the fires of the Detroit race riots to the protest marches of the ‘60s, he aptly captured the spirit of the times.
That is not to suggest that energy was in short supply. Rarely have I seen a cast as engaged in the material, clearly drawing love and support from the adoring audience. The choreography ofPatricia Wilcox and Warren Adams kept the cast rocking, borrowing some from the iconic Motown moves of groups like the Four Tops, Jackson 5 and Temptations, but instilling the spirit and freedom of the music in every step.
Clifton Oliver was a fine Berry Gordy, Jr.; a triple threat, this man can move, act and sing with the best of them. His love for Diana Ross, played by the radiant and über-talented Allison Sommes (a Chicago native), was never in doubt; nor was his drive to succeed nor his belief in his own abilities.
All your Motown favorites are on stage, from Stevie Wonder (the commanding Elijah Ahmad Lewis) to Michael Jackson (the preternaturally talented Reed L. Shannon, who alternates in the role with Leon Outlaw, Jr.). The portrayals of the genial Smokey Robinson (Nicholas Christopher, in great Smokey falsetto) and troubled, charismatic Marvin Gaye (a smoldering Jarran Muse) also connected.
The music makes the story, even as the music made the man who tells the story, Berry Gordy, Jr. In truth, Gordy’s book is a bit thin, as you might expect when covering the complex history—from 1938 to 1983—of Gordy and Motown. This show moves at a breakneck pace, but the music never disappoints (although there were some songs I would’ve loved to hear in their entirety).
It’s easy to see why this show remains such a big draw on Broadway. Although critics may quibble, the Motown magic continues to pull people in. If you’re a lover of Motown—and who isn’t?—this is a show you could see again and again.
“Motown the Musical” is playing at the Ford Center for Performing Arts’ Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, 312-977-1700. Tickets are available at the box office, online or. It runs through August 9, 2014.
