Review: An All-Star Team in the Temptations Musical ‘Ain’t Too Proud’

The talent onstage is absolutely dazzling, but the playwright is clueless. Don't look for a show about "the times" of The Temptations, because the playwright is too young to know who they are, and too lazy to find out. Here are five men of color at the tops of their game, touring, touring, touring America during the height of Civil Rights struggles. They witnessed the end of Jim Crow. But is that anywhere in this plot? Nope. Even if these men were not directly involved, they were certainly witnesses, and surely had opinions about what was going down. Instead, this lazy script rips entire pages from Otis Williams's autobiography, then has the actor recite the plot to the audience. Actors rarely talk to each other. So what's the story about? Meaningless backstage pettiness: this guy got fired, and that girl got slapped, and those guys took drugs. There was SUCH a huge opportunity here to remind America about its struggles for equal rights as told through these memorable songs, but instead, this show celebrates shallowness. So shallow that the climax actually occurs offstage! Buy the CD and dance your toes off, and yes, give the show's choreographer a prize, but don't waste your benjamins on this pointless drama. This show belongs in Vegas, where everybody goes for the songs-and-dances, but nobody goes for the plot.

Someone in the reader comments under "I Married an Angel" seemed concerned about where Ben Brantley was. From the news, it must have been hazardous at "Ain't Too Proud" despite how great the show is, since someone "got sick" from upstairs. Then, the head of the Dodgers Group Mr. David ran up the aisle and soon calmly came back with clean clothes from the concession stand. With concern from the "I Married an Angel" comment thread: Tune of “I'll Tell The Man In The Street” (from "I Married an Angel") I'll tell the man in that seat As he jumps to his feet I feel like a complete schmo. Who did I hit from the mezz? Oh no, the Dodgers’ prez! At least it wasn’t Des, though It’s just some junk I ate. It’s not the show, it’s great I didn’t mean to project And hope it won’t reflect A sign of disrespect from me

I can think of nothing more than David Ruffin (his bio I read has him born in Whynot, Mississippi) a guy who was popular and a wearer of eyeglasses who gave me pride in wearing eyeglasses starting in my teen years in the sixties: and having been called "four-eyes" not causing an emotional uproar inside of me. One more thing. The lyrical part of the song "Beauties only Skindeep"; the words are: "my friends ask what do I see in you, but it goes deeper than the eyes can view. You have a pleasing personality, and that's an ever loving rare quality. Now show me a girl, a girl that's fine and I'll show you one with true loving everytime, because beauty is only skin deep....yeah, yeah, yeah." Awesome

Ben is the outlier in the reviewers round-up, curious. He slammed the new, admitting he didn't understand, BMC, but praises this formulaic storytelling. I found the mostly one person narrative, droning after an first hour. The second hour plus, my mind began to question: Just how truthful a witness was Otis? EVERYTHING is presented from his viewpoint. I guess if you outlast every one you get to tell YOUR version. The cast is wonderfully talented BUT the audience the night we attended less so? YUP, a huge extended sing along, not at the end but throughout the show. If you are a fan this might be your ultimate love fest. The ushers did nothing to simmer down the over heated crowd.

I saw the show when it opened at Berkeley Rep and was disappointed. Way too much narration by Otis Williams. And for all of the great choreography, they never did the Temptation Shuffle. For this Detroit native, that was a sin of omission.

I saw the cast perform a number from this show on a TV program and I was completely blown away. For those of us who can't make it to NYC, it would be great if this show could be webcast at some point.

Oh, so many years ago, I was lucky enough to see the original Temptations perform live in NYC. This production and performance is more than a walk down memory lane—thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, I can highly recommend this as an evening of soul-searching, toe-tapping, top notch music and dance. Walked out with more than smile. I wanted to dance all the way home.

Some critics and posters are very patronizing to jukebox musicals. I have liked some much more than others, but that also applies to all other Broadway shows. They teach new generations about musical legends; persuade some people to venture to Broadway for the first time; provide work for talented actors, musicians, singers and dancers--and theater employees, restaurants, hotels, etc. Bring on a 4 Tops musical!

We enjoyed Ain't Too Proud Musical! Act One focused on the original members of The Temptations as they deal with the Motown sound, concert touring at home and abroad, racism, conflict within the group, fame and the turbulent 1960s. Act Two gets serious dealing with personnel changes, television appearances, reunion tours and the sacrifices paid on the road to superstardom. This Broadway show was humorous but also sincere when delivering messages within the music. The live music performances and choreography resulted in numerous audience applause! Go see Ain't Too Proud Musical! Enjoy the show!

As with other jukebox musicals, I wonder....with all the great music produced by the band, who will actually buy the soundtrack?

Listen in your mind to the piano notes 'introducing' "I Wish It Would Rain" … then give yourself the great pleasure of your mind's 'voice' miming the beyond wonderful one of David Ruffin singing "Sunshine, blue skies, please go away ... A girl has found another and gone away ... With her went my future, my life is filled with gloom So day after day I stay locked up in my room I know to you, it might sound strange But I wish it would rain …" Nuthin' better. 'Nevertheless,' my favorite Temps recollection is some T.V. performance of "Don't Look Back" -- 'where' the choreography has them each doing a precisely and perfectly aligned short-toss of their heads at each delivery of the title-refrain.

I'd never have thought a decade ago that jukebox/catalog musical would extend its fortunes so well to artists who'd gotten respect and honor but not regular cash flow - and like it or not, money gives freedom for writers to keep creating more work on spec when something moves them. This provides hope that Dominique Morisseau will make a real continuous living that will allow more time to write what moves. Likewise, when I see "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" called the "Lynn Nottage/Michael Jackson musical" - it gives hope both for the future show, and for Lynn Nottage to have even more freedom if that turns out to do well. (For the IMHO equally exciting Colman Domingo, it's hard to say what parts of "Summer" were his, and where he might have negotiated with the team, but there too, wishing "Summer" brings him freedom to create what speaks to him directly. The woman-as-men device lost impact IMHO since sometimes they used it, other times men just played men. But when a young African American actress said to Donna (paraphrasing) "I know the last thing you want right now is to talk this over with a middle-aged white lawyer like me," the power that moment had (for me) for what the same words mean depending on who says them - that felt like a Colman Domingo theater-power moment to me somehow, and it stays from that show as surely as I can't seem to get rid if the confetti from the finale.)

My husband and I saw the show in Berkeley, CA and loved it. I guess this is one way for younger generations to be able to relate to their parent's experiences with music. I'm looking forward to the Cher show, too.

This show is on my must see list.

The greatest R&B group, led by the greatest R&B voice ever, David Ruffin. My hope is that Otis sells the "rights" to a record label who can produce these guys from Broadway and bring back the 'Sound of young America" to the new generation.

Saw this show in LA and I think Ben Brantley got it just right. It is what it is, nothing more, nothing less, but, given what it is, it is as good as it gets. I think it is what is considered terrific popular art.