Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations (NYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Possesses all the drama of a datebook; it’s a seemingly endless chronicle of entrances and exits, successes and flameouts, hirings and firings, and illnesses and deaths...But everyone’s there for the music anyway...Like the Tempts themselves, the guys take a bit of time to find their groove; their vocals aren’t super-tight (at least not on the night I attended) until more than halfway through Act 1. At least 'Ain’t Too Proud' provides a sufficient dose of musical nostalgia."
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"The musical numbers offer more exhilarating entertainment than any delivered in this format since 'Jersey Boys'...Morisseau’s libretto ends up resting heavily on platitudes...The songs are the draw, and on that count the musical delivers potently and consistently...If none of the virtuosic performances in 'Ain’t Too Proud' match the effortless sweetness and soulfulness of the original recordings, the abundance of talent and energy onstage is something to marvel at in its own right."
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"A slick but ultimately plodding trek through the complicated history of the popular Motown group...The performers, given the hard task of revivifying the parade of Temptations hits, as well as re-creating the group’s harmonies and its famously suave dance moves, are terrific...'Ain’t Too Proud,' respectable as a dramatic chronicle, and musically enjoyable as it is, could certainly do with a few injections of flair."
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"Lackluster though sensationally performed...Morisseau’s book is a rudimentary compendium of trite show business lore...Yes, it’s a string of clichés but that’s the nature of the genre. Morisseau has done a professional job of providing a solidly dutiful framework in which to incorporate the songs...All of them are rousingly performed by the orchestra and the company...McAnuff’s vigorous staging has everything play out by polished rote."
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“It is neither the best nor the worst in this genre...’Ain't Too Proud’ has that been-there-done-that veneer that diminishes the uniqueness that distinguished the group...No less than thirty-one Motown songs are performed with a slick and polished vigor but only rarely in their entirety, a decision that gives short shrift to some of the best of them...There is no lack of memorable performances...A show that otherwise leaves us invigorated if not quite breathless.”
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"Written by the terrific Dominique Morisseau who knows how to blend a story and a song...But it’s Trujillo whose vision brings it alive as the Temps turn, slide, move, and groove and snap their fingers in rhythmic perfection in a way that still resounds and gives pause to why The Temptations remain part of our musical soundtrack. It’s a hi-powered, dynamic and energetic cast that will make you love them while you, the audience, can’t help but mouth or sing the familiar tunes."
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“From the very first moment...it is impossible not to be completely engaged...’Ain’t Too Proud’ isn’t just another jukebox musical...It is the story of R&B music and its rise on the American music scene. As exemplified by The Temptations, there is absolutely nothing more compelling than that tale...Morisseau has woven the narrative with the music brilliantly. And McAnuff keeps the excitement going at a steady clip...The real star of the show is the music of The Temptations.”
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"The music, the style, the moves, and rhythm are what remains in the center...It’s a Motown treat made in Broadway heaven, and for those fans, and even the ambivalent, the musical joy is real and the moves are impeccable...The full line up that appears on this Broadway stage is remarkable and epic, and one that will be remembered...It will reside alongside the equally as good 'Jersey Boys' as the Broadway framework to build a solid jukebox show."
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