Temptations musical 'Ain't Too Proud' makes its homecoming splash in festive Detroit night
The red carpet got rolled out Wednesday night as the Temptations’ musical finally came home.
A day after its public opening at the Detroit Opera House, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” had its starry moment in the downtown theater district.
The Temptations’ Otis Williams, Detroit-born playwright Dominique Morisseau and a host of Motown alumni attended the festivities, which included a private Motown Museum reception before showtime.
“Ain’t Too Proud,” which wrapped its successful Broadway stand earlier this year, will run through Aug. 28 at the Opera House.
When it was announced in early 2020, “Ain’t Too Proud” was set to play the 2,200-seat Fisher Theatre that summer. Coming out of the pandemic, the show was moved to the 2,700-seat Opera House because of ticket demand.
Folks arriving at the Detroit Opera House were greeted by peppy performances of Motown tunes by the Detroit Youth Choir and the All City Marching Band, part of the loud, colorful action that caught the attention of passersby heading to the nearby Tigers game.
“My Girl” was the marching band’s song of choice as Williams and his entourage hit the red carpet to pose for cameras.
The 80-year-old singer has seen “Ain’t Too Proud” countless times at this point. But he said he still gets a charge watching his life and musical career play out on the stage.
“It’s like the first time again every time I see it,” said Williams, the lone surviving member of the original Tempts.
The musical is based on his 1988 memoir, its stage adaptation written by Detroit native Dominique Morisseau. Williams’ character is the onstage narrator and central figure, the glue holding the Tempts together through the years as the group navigates lineup changes, personal drama and chart-topping success.
Morisseau was warmly greeted at the Motown Museum reception upstairs, telling the crowd, “I want to be part of telling my city’s stories for the rest of my life.”
Longtime Temptations manager Shelly Berger highlighted the significance of Wednesday's occasion.
“Tonight is so, so important for us. Maybe a bit more important than the Broadway opening,” Berger said. “Because Motown, Otis Williams, the Temptations, are coming home.”
He also called "Ain't Too Proud" a musical 18 years in the making, going back to his earliest conversations with Berry Gordy about securing music rights. The Motown founder was agreeable to the idea — but not before his own "Motown: The Musical" hit Broadway in 2013.
Actor Marcus Paul James plays Williams in the show, which launched its North American touring run in late 2021 and will kick off a European iteration next year.
“We know Otis really well, so he’s the least of my worries,” James said of the high-profile red-carpet night. “It’s the rest of Detroit I’m thinking of.”
For Saginaw’s Harrell Holmes Jr., who plays bass singer Melvin Franklin, it was a particularly special occasion. His mom and dad were in Wednesday’s audience for their first look at “Ain’t Too Proud.”
“My 7-year-old self is going crazy right now,” he said ahead of the show. “I always wanted to be a Temptation, so this is a dream come true.”
“All I ever wanted to do was sing. Fortunately, I have been graced with some wonderful singers — some of the baddest singing brothers that ever walked this Earth. God blessed me with that.”
Detroit-born Jawan Jackson, who played Franklin in the Broadway show, was on hand Wednesday in a new role: as an official member of the Temptations. He joined the group in June.
"I feel like a rock star with these men," he said on the red carpet.
Wednesday’s red-carpet celebration came in a busy Motown week that included the Motown Museum’s unveiling of expansion work at a Monday event with Smokey Robinson.
But the week was also bittersweet, touching on a Motown reality at this stage: The two festive events bookended sad news Tuesday about the passing of singer-producer Lamont Dozier, part of the powerhouse Holland-Dozier-Holland team.
The Velvelettes’ Cal Street was among those personally touched by Dozier’s passing. But she took comfort among the Motown peers and fans on hand Wednesday.
“This means so much to us — the camaraderie and love that people show us,” she said. “Tonight means an awful lot to me.”
Williams, snappily dressed as ever, was greeted with a standing ovation when he entered the theater, accompanied by a “CBS Mornings” camera crew for an upcoming segment. Chants of “Otis! Otis!” broke out in the crowd.
The CBS program’s Gayle King was in Detroit earlier Wednesday, attending “Ain’t Too Proud” auditions at the Motown Museum, where a couple of hundred singers and actors vied for roles in the touring production.
Once Williams and his entourage settled into their Opera House seats, the lights dimmed and the musical was off and running with the opening number “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” The briskly paced play is packed with Detroit scenarios in its early stretch, and the local references prompted bursts of applause from the audience.
“I love Detroit,” Williams had said earlier. “Even though (I live) in L.A., this will always be home.”
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit gives Temptations show 'Ain't Too Proud' a festive homecoming
