The Long Island Advance
Celebrate The Temptations’ Life And Times
Shoulders moved to the beat. Heads nodded. Feet tapped in time. Some even sang or clapped enthusiastically along with each number.
Then they cheered. A lot. It started with “The Way You Do the Things You Do.”
That was the enthusiastic reaction to Gateway Playhouse’s Long Island premiere of “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” about five guys evolving from a tough factory neighborhood in Detroit, looking for a better way out through their singing in an era where songs were mostly about love and girls and harmony.
It is brilliant.
Thirty cast members, as well as an outstanding orchestra onstage perfecting the score (via keys 1 and 2, saxophone, flute, trombone, electric guitar, electric bass and drum; bless you musicians, led by music director Jacinth Greywoode and associate music director Jake Turski), touched the audience with their story starting in 1961. Motown label founder, record, film and television producer as well as songwriter Berry Gordy (Greg Watkins); singer Smokey Robinson (Cedric Jamaal Greene), who wrote “My Girl”; Diana Ross (Alanna Lovely) and the Supremes, Mary Wilson (Renee Marie Titus) and Tami Terrell (Montria Walker); as well as manager Shelly Berger (Deric Gochenauer) are the musical greats portrayed creating a fascinating historical telling.
Thirty-one fabulously sung songs, “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,” the Supremes’ “Baby Love,” are in there. But the absolute grace and power in the gorgeous choreography, smooth, funky spins, pumping arms, explosive knee slides and pirouettes are breathtaking. Oh my.
A big thanks to choreographer Ian Coulter Bouford. Wow!
Founder Otis Williams (Jahmaul Abiodun Bakere) is the grounded member who narrates the story throughout and sings, one that chronicles the group’s humble beginnings with a few troubles; Otis went to juvenile detention for six months before getting the right group together.
“Singing will be my salvation,” he says. And it was.
The originals were Otis Williams (Bakere), Melvin Franklin (Keith Johnson), Paul Williams (Marquez Williams), Eddie Kendricks (Jovan E’Sean) and Elbridge Bryant (Jamaur Houston). Bryant was replaced with David Ruffin (Kalonjee M Gallimore). Dennis Edwards (Bryant) replaced Ruffin.
Kobe Brown, who plays young Otis (also Otis’s son Lamont), projects the vulnerability and earnestness of a talented teen, one with a directed drive. (Great voice; Brown is from Michigan with a slew of national tour acting and TV/film credits.)
When young Otis has to ask bass singer Melvin Franklin’s (a terrific Keith Johnson) mama if he can join the group, it’s one of many humorous moments in the musical. (Guys actually did that then. And after a sassy conversation, while wanting Melvin to finish school, she said yes.)
In spite of the drug and alcohol abuse, infidelities and money troubles, the singers made their mark.
David Ruffin (Gallimore), the lead vocalist for “My Girl,” and others had a dad that beat his mother. He was in love with Tammi Terrell, but manhandled her. Gallimore played Ruffin’s ferocious ego magnificently, flicking off his lateness, jumping up onstage after he was fired, but his rendition of “I Wish That It Would Rain,” after Terrell dies, is emotionally searing.
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,” with Alanna Lovely as Diana Ross, is gorgeous (the costumes are to die for: aqua and teal sequins for The Supremes; sassy jackets, some with fringe, for The Temptations).
The group experienced a long, complicated trajectory, including the civil-rights movement, discrimination (they were shot at traveling to a gig). There were segregated hotels as well as nefarious attractions on tour. Otis’s marriage to Josephine (a touching Gabrielle Beckford) fell apart because of his touring.
But their efforts brought them four Grammy Awards, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, national television attention, and the distinction of breaking out as a Black group.With some of the highs and dramas was sadness. Eddie Hendricks (Jovan E’Sean), who had lung cancer, recorded “Just My Imagination,” the last song before he died. The rendition sailed over the audience like a hymn.
“For Once in My Life,” sung by Paul Williams (Marqez Linder), who was lead singer with Dennis Edwards on “Cloud Nine,” had contracted sickle cell anemia. He began drinking and ultimately died by suicide. His farewell song was beautiful.
There is a lot to take in with this beautiful show. It is fast-paced and mostly covers the eras between the early 1960s into the mid 1970s. Berry Gordy was a good, savvy initial manager for them, stressing quality and staying focused on their work. Otis still performs and Shelly Berger still manages the current Temptations group. The assassination of Martin Luther King, the Vietnam War, and peace marches are utilized in projections. The stage, with the orchestra in the rear, provides a clean slate for the cast, who sing their hearts out and dance like there’s no tomorrow.
“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” is a musically glorious show and an impressive Long Island theater first.
Patch
‘Get Ready’ To Be Blown Away by The Gateway’s Powerhouse Production of ‘Ain’t Too Proud’
The Gateway’s Long Island premiere of the 2019 Broadway musical “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” opened on Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day and often called “America’s second Independence Day.” The Temptations, a legendary Motown group, rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s. A line in this jukebox musical, in which Berry Gordy warns Otis Williams, “The music is colorblind, but the world is not,” succinctly summed up America’s tumultuous political climate, rife with racial prejudice. This heartfelt show is a tribute to the band’s musical evolution from doo-wop and R&B to psychedelic soul and funk, and a testament to these brave Black performers who used their platform to integrate and unite our segregated nation.
Written by Dominique Morisseau, this beloved musical is based on the 1988 memoir “The Temptations” by the group’s founder, Otis Williams, with Patricia Romanowski. This well-crafted show earned 12 Tony Award nominations, with Sergio Trujillo winning Best Choreography. The story follows the journey of five young Black men, whose talent, perseverance, and sense of brotherhood catapulted them from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Much of the drama centers around the comings and goings of some of the original founding members and their successors.
The narrator and heart of the story, Jahmaul Abiodun Bakare, a charismatic actor with stellar vocals and dance moves, delivered an award-worthy performance as the older, wiser Otis Williams, looking back on his life and career and guiding the audience through decades of hardship, success, death, loss, and heartbreak. Bakare’s moving rendition of “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” was worth the price of admission.
All of the leads portraying The Temptations were superstars, hitting the theatrical trifecta with their extraordinary vocal, dance, and acting skills. Particularly impressive was their ability to reproduce the group’s rich harmonies while performing synchronized dance routines featuring expressive arm movements, well-timed spins, and intricate footwork.
Kobe Brown was outstanding as Young Otis Williams. Brown can sing! Brown can dance, but what made him such a standout in this production was his strong acting, which enabled him to convey the myriad emotions Williams experienced as a young man navigating the cutthroat world of entertainment.
In the role of the talented but troubled David Ruffin, Kalonjee M. Gallimore captured the essence of this multi-talented performer, commanding the stage with powerhouse vocals and smooth dance moves, delighting the audience with split-second splits, down one minute and up again with jack-in-the-box speed. Through nuanced facial expressions, Gallimore masterfully portrayed a man whose magical voice and undeniable magnetism propelled him to superstardom, yet whose inflated ego and escalating substance abuse ultimately became his downfall.
Jovan E’Sean brought a charming vulnerability to Eddie Kendricks, a sensitive and sometimes volatile performing artist, whose smooth, sophisticated falsetto helped define The Temptations’ signature sound. His showstopping performance of the classic hit “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” was a triumphant onstage moment.
As Paul Williams, the group’s choreographer, Marquez Linder delivers a heartrending performance as a gifted man battling demons and alcoholism. His poignant delivery of “For Once in My Life” was one of the show’s highlights.
Keith Johnson aced the role of Melvin Franklin, a gentle, funny, kind, peacemaking man, blessed with a booming bass voice that anchored The Temptations’ harmonies.
Gabrielle Beckford’s spot-on portrayal of Otis’s wife, Josephine, stole the show with her magnificent rendition of the soulful ballad “If You Don’t Know Me by Now.”
Other standout performers were Greg Watkins as Motown founder Berry Gordy; Cedric Jamaal Greene in dual roles as Smokey Robinson and Richard Street; Alanna Lovely as Diana Ross; Montria Walker as Tammi Terrell; Renee Marie Titus as Mary Wilson; Jamaur Houston as Elbridge “Al” Bryant; Deric Gochenauer as Shelly Berger; and Bryant as Dennis Edwards.
The stellar ensemble includes David Lafler, Albert Jack Peterson, Adrian Phillips, Sienna Reefer, David Tobachnik, and Darian Archie Troy. The Onstage Swings are Jameson Clanton and Maya Imani.
One of the highlights of the evening was the emotionally moving rendition of “I Wish It Would Rain,” which reflected the tremendous loss and heartbreak felt after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the pain the group experienced with the untimely passing of the young and talented singer-songwriter Tammi Terrell.
The Gateway assembled a top-notch creative team. Directed with exacting precision by DeMone Seraphin and Associate Director Elizabeth Addison, and featuring outstanding choreography by Ian Coulter-Buford, the ensemble brought their A-game to this show. A big round of applause goes to Janine Loesch for her dazzling costume design, Dustin Lawson for wig and makeup design, Brian Pacelli for scenic and projection design, Leonardo Mignola for sound design, and Kim Hanson for lighting design. Special mention goes to the onstage powerhouse orchestra, Music Director Jacinth Greywoode, and Associate Musical Director Jake Turski for replicating Motown’s sound, an intoxicating blend of secular and sacred music.
Bursting with electrifying performances, high-energy choreography, and many of the greatest songs ever recorded, The Gateway’s “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” is a must-see show!
