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The Broadway production of Ain't Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations plays its final performance at the Imperial Theatre January 16. As of closing, the new musical played a total of 488 performances.
The acclaimed production, which had been temporarily closed due to breakthrough COVID-19 cases, resumed performances December 28, 2020, for its final three weeks.
The jukebox musical, featuring a book by Dominique Morisseau, reopened in October, having been shut down along with the rest of Broadway in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Returning as the show's five leads were Nik Walker as Otis Williams, James Harkness as Paul Williams, Jawan M. Jackson as Melvin Franklin, Matt Manuel as David Ruffin, and Jelani Remy as Eddie Kendricks.
The company also features Esther Antoine, Saint Aubyn, E. Clayton Cornelious, J. Daughtry, Tiffany Francés, Taylor Symone Jackson, Jahi Kearse, Darius Jordan Lee, Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Morgan McGhee, Joshua Morgan, Aaron Patterson, Christian Thompson, Sir Brock Warren, Correy West, Drew Wildman Foster, Curtis Wiley, and Candice Marie Woods.
EGOT winner John Legend and his Get Lifted Film Co. partners Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorious joined the producing team last year. Legend, who won a Tony Award in 2017 as a producer of the revival of August Wilson’s Jitney along with Jackson, performed with the cast of the show during the 74th annual Tony Awards.
The musical, which recouped its entire investment on Broadway, uses the group’s hits to tell the story of their journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Songs include “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”
The musical opened on Broadway March 21, 2019, and was nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Two-time Tony winner Des McAnuff directs, with Tony-winning choreography by Sergio Trujillo. Ain't Too Proud had its world premiere at California’s Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2017 before going on to play Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Toronto.
Ain’t Too Proud also has sets by Robert Bill, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley, sound design by Steve Canyon, and projections by Peter Nigrini. Casting is by Merri Sugarman of Tara Rubin Casting.p
