For a singing group known for their close harmonies, the saga of The Temptations is full of discord.
Anyone who lived through the 1960s and 1970s surely knows the hits of this Detroit-bred rhythm and blues group, but they probably do not know the story of their rise to fame and ultimate implosion.
That is the essence of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, as compiled by MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Dominique Morisseau, who clearly followed the template of Jersey Boys, a very similar biographical jukebox musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
After all, the two shows were both directed by Des McAnuff and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo and have the same Behind the Music approach. The tale of how the original members of the group each gave in to temptation — booze, drugs, avarice and ego — is compelling, but the draw of Ain’t Too Proud is the more than 30 vintage songs from the Motown catalog that will surely have you humming along and swaying to their nostalgic pleasures.
From “My Girl,” the Temptations’ first No. 1 hit, through “Get Ready” to “Come See About Me” to their final No. 1 hit, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” — a song none of them wanted to record — the production is a bonanza of classic sounds. And did you know that “War,” the Vietnam protest song made famous by Edwin Starr, was originally written for the Temptations? But Motown mogul Berry Gordy (Kerry D’Jovanni) vetoed the release of their version as being “too political.”
The show is largely narrated by the group’s founder, Otis Williams (a compelling Rudy Foster), the only surviving member of the original five and the author of a memoir on which Ain’t Too Proud is based.
While we see the group’s history through his eyes, Otis is hardly idealized, for we also observe the strained relationship with his son, Lamont (Mikey Corey Hassel).
Prominent among the other Temptations is flashy soloist David Ruffin (Josiah Travis Kent Rogers). His talent is evident, but he is riddled by demons and addiction, which makes him unreliable and expendable. In addition, he is abusive to his girlfriend, the tragic Motown singing star Tammi Terrell (Kaila Symone Crowder).
Adulterer and alcoholic Paul Williams (Bryce Valle), once he is rejected by the group, takes his own life. Malleable Melvin Franklin (Jameson Clanton) tries to mediate peace among the group, an untenable position. And Eddie Kendricks (Lowes Moore), while initially resistant to the changes Otis dictates, ultimately forms a competing Temptations act. Soon there is a profusion of singers professing to be the true act, and telling them apart can be a challenge.
As the show progresses, so do hostilities within the group, but for a while their collective successes increase as their synchronized dance moves improve and their wardrobe (designed by Sue Makkoo) grows slicker and flashier.
Slick and flashy also describes the whole production, which moves with cinematic speed as performance cities and venues are projected on the back screen. In all, Ain’t Too Proud is a tour package brimming with entertainment value and an eye-opening view of a cherished group of performers we only thought we knew.
Editor’s note: This show closed at the Kravis Center on Sunday, the end of its run. This review should have appeared last week, but was inadvertently delayed by a production error.