Rehearsals are underway as the U.K. company of Ain't Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations readies to begin performances at Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End March 31.
As previously announced, the London company is led by Cameron Bernard Jones as Melvin Franklin, Kyle Cox as Paul Williams, Sifiso Mazibuko as Otis Williams, Tosh Wanogho-Maud as David Ruffin, and Mitchell Zhangazha as Eddie Kendricks, along with Evonnee Bentley-Holder, Natalia Brown, Ryan Carter, Hannah Fairclough, Christopher Gopaul, Daniel Haswell, Naomi Katiyo, Akmed Junior Khemalai, Holly Liburd, Darnell Mathew-James, Simeon Montague, Posi Morakinyo, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Michael James Stewart, Toyan Thomas-Browne, Dylan Turner, and Kevin Yates.
Go inside the rehearsal room with these photos:
Sifiso Mazibuko and Company of Ain't Too Proud
Tosh Wanogho Maud
Tosh Wanogho Maud and Evonnee Bentley Holder
Company of Ain't Too Proud
Company of Ain't Too Proud
Sifiso Mazibuko
Mitchell Zhangazha
Mitchell Zhangazha, Cameron Bernard Jones, Tosh Wanogho Maud, Kyle Cox, and Sifiso Mazibuko
Kyle Cox
Cameron Bernard Jones
Ain't Too Proud played its final performance at Broadway's Imperial Theatre January 16. The musical, which played a total of 488 performances on Broadway, uses The Temptations' 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.”
Ain’t Too Proud has a book by Kennedy Prize-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau and reunites two-time Tony-winning director Des McAnuff with Tony- and Olivier-winning choreographer Sergio Trujilio, whose previous collaborations include the Tony-winning Jersey Boys.
The musical also has scenic design by Tony nominee Robert Brill, costume design by Tony winner Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Tony winner Howell Binkley, sound design by Tony winner Steve Canyon Kennedy, projection design by Drama Desk Award winner Peter Nigrini, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, music supervision and arrangements by Kenny Seymour, orchestrations by Drama Desk Award winner Harold Wheeler, and music direction by Matt Smith.
The musical opened on Broadway March 21, 2019, and was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Trujillo won the Tony for Best Choreography. 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 is produced in the West End by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Stephen Gabriel, and Jamie Wilson.
For ticket information click here.
