![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Jarran-Muse-as-Marvin-Gaye-Cast-MOTOWN-THE-MUSICAL-First-National-Tour-c-Joan-Marcus-2017JPG.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Joan Marcus, as is the big one at the top of the page.<\/p><\/div>\n
I was so grateful to be among the appreciative sold-out crowd on opening night to welcome this hit Broadway show back to Los Angeles. If we had perennial<\/em> shows in this city, as Vegas does, I\u2019m sure this one would run for years on end!<\/p>\n On top of all the joy that Motown, The Musical<\/em> brings us, it\u2019s also very socially relevant right now, with all the craziness that\u2019s again going on in our country since the unfortunate inauguration of the madmen at the head of it. When some of the scenes of the United States\u2019 shameful racial discrimination, and political unrest, were being portrayed on stage, I could hear many audience members muttering about it being like that again. Sad. The ecology anthem, Mercy Mercy Me<\/em>, is especially poignant now. [*Note: In case you don\u2019t know all the lyrics by heart, as many of us do<\/em>, I posted them at the very bottom of this review.]<\/p>\n I had a different, much closer, view of the stage this time than I did the last, but I really did enjoy both renditions the same, surprisingly to me. Of course, I always like to sit closer to the stage, but I guess this proved to me that any<\/em> seat in the Pantages is a good seat, as long as the show<\/em> is a great one!<\/p>\n Allison Semmes and Chester Gregory, as Diana Ross and Berry Gordy, Jr. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n Motown, The Musical<\/em> is not just a revue<\/em> of all the great Motown hits; the scenario is the story of how Berry Gordy, Jr. founded the record label, discovered all the now-iconic talent, and then struggled to keep it all going. It\u2019s based on Berry\u2019s1994 autobiography, To Be Loved<\/em>, in which he\u2019s pretty honest about a lot of things, including his complicated personal and professional relationship with Diana Ross. We fans always just heard the music, and never thought about the label\u2019s troubles along the way. Everything just seemed so glamorous, which I\u2019m sure is the way that Berry wanted it. So, this show is captivating on many<\/em> levels.<\/p>\n Just be prepared that the musical is a bit long; they tried to get every little bit of history in there, if even for a few seconds. It\u2019s worth it, though. I know that the audience I<\/em> was in wouldn’t have minded if the show went on for another couple of hours! They were screaming for every \u201cact\u201d as though they were seeing the real people!<\/p>\n The portrayal of The Temptations. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n I did get a tad choked-up at a small section which featured Rick James and Teena Marie. I knew them, (and even orchestrated a surprise on-stage reunion for them, and then missed it myself, which still bothers me to this day,) and I was also pals with the Temptations and Four Tops way back in the day; to realize that Rick and Teena and Ali Ollie Woodson and Melvin Franklin and Richard Street and so many other greats are gone now just got to me, in a big way. Those scenes of Motown, The Musical<\/em> were more than a bit painful to me.<\/p>\n But it was still great to re-live their glory days. And it\u2019s fascinating to see the back-stories of Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, the Temps and Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Jackson Five, among others. I think they got them all<\/em> in.<\/p>\n The cast must be in heaven doing this show! They get to sing all those classics, and wear multiple fabulous costumes, by Emilio Sosa, as well.<\/p>\n Jarran Muse, as Marvin Gaye. (Duh!) Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n Speaking of the cast, I was thrilled to see Allison Semmes, playing Diana Ross, and Jarran Muse, as Marvin Gaye, back in this production again. Those two really embody those icons, and if I closed my eyes, or even squinted just a bit, I would swear that I was seeing the real people. Their portrayals, and voices, are spot-on! Jarran especially, totally captured the essence of Marvin. And when Allison does a bit of Diana\u2019s iconic Vegas show, I\u2019m here to tell you how exact she was. I saw that show several times, (and was even asked to open<\/em> for her there, but that\u2019s a weird story for another time,) and Allison was perfect. She really brought me back. (And since I was seated so up-close this time, I could barely take my eyes off her super-shiny fingernails! I love that effort, even though probably only about two of us will notice!)<\/p>\n Chester Gregory, as Berry Gordy, was also excellent, especially because he was on stage for ninety percent of the time! I don\u2019t know how he keeps that energy up! He didn\u2019t miss a beat. And you could tell he was loving doing it. How great is it when you can see that someone loves his or her job?!<\/p>\n The “Jackson Five,” with CJ Wright in the center, playing Michael. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n Honorable mention must go to Elijah Ahmad Lewis as both Stevie Wonder and Jackie Wilson, Malcolm Armwood, who brought lots of comedic charm to his multiple roles, and CJ Wright as Michael Jackson and a young Stevie, who could possibly play Sammy Davis, Jr. as a kid prodigy one day, with a few more dance lessons. And also to the energetic guys who did a number as The Contours, which is when I finally really<\/em> got into the show. I never even really knew of that group, but these<\/em> guys brought the excitement.<\/p>\n Gabriella Whiting, Allison Semmes, and Tavia Rivee as the early Supremes. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n There\u2019s actually nothing not<\/em> to like about Motown, The Musical<\/em>. Everything about the show is just right; there\u2019s not a dull moment in the almost three hours! The time just flies by. All the creative people involved really hit it out of the park.<\/p>\n The whole show is very well done.\u00a0 It\u2019s pure happiness.\u00a0 There are literally no boring moments.\u00a0 It moves quickly from scene to scene, song to song.\u00a0 You know I love when shows go in chronological order, which this one does, outside of the very beginning. But I also appreciated that it begins with a tease of the now-classic Motown 25th Anniversary Show<\/em>, to give us that \u201cpow\u201d opening. The opening night audience was into it from the very first note.<\/p>\n Judith Franklin as Martha Reeves. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n And what a gargantuan undertaking Motown, The Musica<\/em>l is! There are over thirty cast members, who sign all or part of sixty Motown songs, (with a few new songs, that were written just for this show, thrown in,) eighteen scene changes, and a whole passel of wonderful musicians. Whew. These songs are all still great on the radio, but to hear them sung so perfectly, and with a live orchestra, is an incredible experience, one that my Souther California readers should not miss!!!<\/p>\n That\u2019s why I\u2019m a bit torn over what I\u2019m about to say here: I know that with all these great oldies, people feel inclined to sing along. And, in a very few instances in the show, the performers, as their characters, encourage us to do just that, so those times it\u2019s allowed (by me.) I always want everyone to have the most fun possible, but that includes moi<\/em>. I was trying to enjoy the beautiful Broadway voices that my ears were privileged enough to hear, but instead, they kept getting drowned-out by the mediocre (and I\u2019m being generous here) voices of the audience members who were surrounding me! This is a Broadway show, people\u2014not a karaoke bar! Save your singing-along-with-the-Motown-hits for your cars, please!<\/p>\n In the center, lifelong besties, Berry Gordy, Jr. and Smokey Robinson. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Because it was opening night, there was a super-special curtain call, which included director Charles Randolph-Wright, Smokey Robinson, and Berry Gordy himself! I\u2019m so glad those last two are still besties after all these years! And then, as some members of the cast came down the stage Soul Train<\/em>-style, eighty-seven-year-old Berry got in on the action!!!\u00a0 That was pretty amazing to witness so up-close and personal. That man is ageless! (And he still has some moves.)<\/p>\n For a fabulous theatre experience, do not miss this show<\/em>!!! \u00a0(And, since it’s a National Tour,\u00a0you might still get to see it, even if you don’t live in SoCal!)<\/p>\n Motown, The Musical<\/em> running through February 12, 2017<\/strong> *Mercy, Mercy Me<\/em> lyrics:<\/p>\n Whoa, as, mercy, mercy me MOTOWN, THE MUSICAL Remembering the fabulous time I had at the previous opening night of Motown, The Musical at Hollywood\u2019s Pantages Theatre, I couldn\u2019t wait to see it again. I can’t believe that was almost two years ago! Wow. It feels so much more recent than that. I was so grateful to be among the<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Pantages Theatre \u00a06233 Hollywood Blvd. \u00a0800-982-2727 \u00a0www.hollywoodpantages.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nOh things ain’t what they used to be, no no
\nWhere did all the blue skies go?
\nPoison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east
\nWhoa mercy, mercy me,
\nOh things ain’t what they used to be, no no
\nOil wasted on the oceans and upon our seas, fish full of mercury
\nAh, oh mercy, mercy me
\nAh things ain’t what they used to be, no no
\nRadiation under ground and in the sky
\nAnimals and birds who live nearby are dying
\nOh mercy, mercy me
\nOh things ain’t what they used to be
\nWhat about this overcrowded land
\nHow much more abuse from man can she stand?
\nOh, no no, na, na na, na
\nMy sweet Lord, na, na, na
\nMy Lord, my sweet Lord<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"