Review: Broadway in Austin’s Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations
Like any jukebox musical, it all comes down to the songs
By Bob Abelman, 12:00PM, Thu. Mar. 30, 2023
Biographical jukebox musicals are, by their very nature, highly predictable and easily digestible creatures. Immensely familiar music generated by a popular artist or group is used to tell their warts-and-all stories; And those stories, which typically follow a fairly straightforward timeline, can be easily summed up in a single sentence.
The Boy From Oz, for instance, explores singer-pianist-songwriter Peter Allen’s flamboyant life and successful career before they are snuffed out by AIDS. Summer: The Donna Summer Musical delves into the disco diva’s battles with the white, male power brokers in her life. And Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, which is on tour and currently on stage at Bass Center Hall, shows how the five-member vocal group from Detroit, Michigan – who released a series of hit singles with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s, ranging from classic R&B, psychedelic soul, pop, funk, rock ‘n’ roll, and adult contemporary – combated attrition.
Yea, I know, a musical about how this group just sorta kept on keeping on by repeatedly replacing its members (there have been over two dozen Temptations over the years) makes for a rather thin bit of storytelling. It’s a one-sided bit of storytelling as well, for the musical is based on the 1988 memoir of group founder and last remaining original Temptation, Otis Williams. It’s Williams’ character (played by the talented, congenial Michael Andreaus) who serves as the show’s narrator and from whose perspective this tale is told.
The script for Ain’t Too Proud was written by the gifted and provocative author Dominique Morisseau (Paradise Blue, Detroit '67, Skeleton Crew), whose job it seems was to counterbalance Williams’ reflections on the clashing egos and personal demons of his original brothers in arms (played by triple-threat performers E. Clayton Cornelious, Harrell Holmes Jr., Jalen Harris, and Elijah Ahmad Lewis) with dialogue that makes these fellows appealing. Her pandering works, for opening night audience members offered appreciative and supportive applause as one Temptation exited to die of an drug overdose and another to commit suicide. We even adore the Williams character, who abandons his underage wife and newborn child for the road. The same goes for Motown mastermind Berry Gordy (a suave Jeremy Kelsey), who in life was a brilliant but unlikable dictator. It’s as if Morisseau was playing The Temptations song “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” on repeat during the making of this play.
It matters little, really, for jukebox musicals are all about the music, and all of The Temptations’ greatest hits are rolled out in the course of the evening, supported by a superb 12-piece orchestra (conducted by Jonathan Smith). Songs like “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “I Wish It Would Rain” are performed in their entirety, others in short form, and all with the group’s slick signature choreography (wonderfully reenvisioned by Sergio Trujullo). Some songs pop up as a narrative device where the lyrics and music expand on the dialogue and others occur in the guise of a studio recording session or a television broadcast. It all works.
Vocally, these Temptations sound close enough to the originals to cause the hairs on your arms to tingle. Ditto regarding the dancing, which is nicely polished and a pleasure to watch. The production is also visually stunning, courtesy of Robert Brill (scenic), Howell Binkley (lighting), and Peter Nigrini’s (projection) constantly shifting kinetic design. Paul Tazewell’s costumes are perfectly period, and director Des McAnuff keeps everything moving at a rapid pace.
Ain’t Too Proud is built solely for our entertainment. If you love the music, you’ll love the musical.
Broadway in Austin’s Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations
Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman, 512-471-2787
texasperformingarts.org
Through April 2
Running time: 2 hrs., 45 mins.
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Dec. 15, 2023
Broadway in Austin, Bass Concert Hall, AIn't Too Proud
