Imagine a concert featuring the Temptations, the Four Tops, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5. That is essentially what it felt like last Thursday night at the Capitol Theatre when I saw a performance of Motown The Musical. As you can imagine, it was incredible because the actors looked and sounded so much like the Motown recording artists they portrayed. The musical tells the story of the rise and fall of Motown Records, particularly highlighting the tempestuous relationship between founder Berry Gordy (Chester Gregory) and his superstar Diana Ross (Allison Semmes). Interspersed with the telling of the history of Motown is the music from their legendary catalogue. My favorites included "Where Did Our Love Go," "My Girl," "Stop in the Name of Love," "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Baby I Need Your Lovin'," "War," "Ball of Confusion," "I Want You Back," "ABC," "Reach Out (I'll Be There)," "Mercy, Mercy Me," and "Get Ready." It is such great music and the choreography and period costumes made every number spectacular. People in the audience were singing, clapping, cheering, and practically dancing in the aisles! I really loved Semmes' portrayal of Diana Ross, especially during the song "Reach Out and Touch," because she immitated all of her mannerisms perfectly (I laughed out loud when she flipped her hair). However, J.J. Batteast completely stole the show as the young Michael Jackson. Where did they find this kid? He sounded and, more importantly, he danced just like Michael Jackson. Those scenes were the highlight of the show for me. If you are a fan of this music, I highly recommend that you see this musical if you have the opportunity. Unfortunately, the run at the Capitol Theatre ended last night.
Note: My only complaint is that I wished that every song could have been performed in its entirety. There were just so many that had to be included!
No comments:
Post a Comment