Anyone who knows me well can easily say that I am pretty obsessed with Broadway - not just the street in New York, but also the musical institution that has sparkled and jazzed up the lives of its audiences all over the nation for about a century now.
I recently had the lovely opportunity to watch one of the shows that have graced Broadway and stages all over the country, "Motown: The Musical."
What is "Motown: The Musical" all about?
Remember those hit tunes by The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and even The Jackson 5? Motown is the renowned record company that launched these groups and artists' careers. The story of "Motown: The Musical" revolves around how the life and work of the man who founded the Motown record company, Berry Gordy, impacted the lives of his company's artists and how they impacted his own life.
The book -- theatre vernacular for "script" -- is based on the 1994 autobiography by Berry Gordy titled, "To Be Loved" with a score ringing from the records from Motown. With a whopping total of 66 songs and actors playing real life music legends like Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, this jukebox show is definitely one you will want to sing along to if you're into music from the past.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
The story begins with a gathering of multiple singing groups, based on real life music groups, singing their hearts out, welcoming the audience. We soon find out after their singing is interrupted that these acts are rehearsing for a television special commemorating the founder and owner of the record company Motown on its 25th anniversary. Back at his home, Berry Gordy, the man of their hour, reluctantly hears of this event on his television set hours before the airing of the special, with no intention of attending the gathering. He reveals to his business confidants that his decision is due to feeling betrayed by all the artists who are performing the television special, feeling their gratitude towards him is just "for show." The main part of the story is told through flashback after these opening scenes.
Throughout the entire show, the songs and their actors and singers were stunning. I do not remember a time I said, "Damn," so many times in a row while playing spectator to a performance. There were notes that they hit that I did not think were physically possible to do after so much dancing, I was left stunned and envious all at the same time. Also, the songs got me really invested emotionally because of the plot's historical accuracy to the political occurrences of the fifties through the eighties. I think it was also an added bonus that I was sitting in the front row.
As much as this production's performance shone with ultra star power, I sadly feel that this show was not one of Broadway's best. The songs were all from Motown Records, a very popular record company that has given birth to music's finest and still exists today releasing hit after hit. However, the way that the songs were presented made the show seem more like a concert rather than a show that contained a story plot. The songs were mostly performed one after another and it was a little confusing to decipher between the time lapses until the set and wigs on the actors changed. And, because of these star-fueled songs, the story plot seemed to be overshadowed by the songs due to their lasting popularity. As I left the theatre, though, I felt that this did not deflect the entire show's main purpose: to give the audience a good time.
If you're looking for good music and a good time, "Motown" could definitely be an option for you. This would be an especially good choice for a show for someone who has never seen a Broadway show before. It really does a wonder on its audience.
