Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations (NYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (1,043)
See it if You love great singing and dancing. The energy on stage is amazing!
Don't see it if You’re racist. Read more
See it if It does everything right Jersey Boys did wrong. I mean I even liked the use of the turntable. And I never like those.
Don't see it if You don’t like that style of music, but that should be obvious 🤷🏻♂️
See it if You enjoy plays like Jersey Boys, Beautiful... Great singing, acting and choreography. Great tribute to amazing group. Strongly recommended!
Don't see it if You don’t like musicals
See it if you like to learn about famous musical groups AND/or you like to revisit the music of these groups.
Don't see it if you're thinking that people around you in the audience will be quiet. My "neighbors" hummed, sang along. To me, THAT is annoying. Read more
See it if You enjoy the music of The Temptations and want to know more about the men who helped influence the rhythm and blues genre.
Don't see it if The musical biopic isn't your style of show. Read more
See it if This is the 2nd most nominated show this TONY season - and the Talent is wonderful throughout the entire cast
Don't see it if you have no interest in Motown
See it if The show tells a realistic view of the rise of the temptations with all the joys and pitfalls
Don't see it if If you dont like musical and want to be entertained
See it if If you like a fast moving, yet complete biopic of the Temptations. Amazing performances.
Don't see it if If you don't like musicals, or hard knocks that fame hands out.
Critic Reviews (50)
"In Otis’ narration, the lives of the men behind the voices are generally reduced to one or two digestible traits...Inner lives are given only cursory glimpses, as much of the book by Dominique Morisseau gets caught up documenting the group’s shuffling roster of members...But then, the Temptations are beloved for their soaring vocals, smooth moves and slick suits. Director Des McAnuff sets the production whizzing and spinning with ease like a classic record on a turntable."
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“The magic, history, poignance and joy displayed by the production company creatives of ‘Ain’t Too Proud’, are bar none. The show is one of the best on Broadway...Special accolades go to McAnuff for his seminal direction and staging...But the rising glory must land on the actors and ensemble responsible for the breathtaking portrayals of the ‘Classic 5 Temptations’...By the conclusion of ‘Ain’t Too Proud’, I felt like I had spent time with loving family who passed...Must-see.”
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"Seamless, slick, and exuberantly entertaining, 'Ain’t Too Proud' is easily one of the best catalogue musicals ever to grace The Great White Way...The beat never stops, and the songs are thankfully plotted diegetically, rather than being awkwardly interpolated into serving a literal purpose beyond the reality of their performance...At its most fundamental level, this show looks good, sounds good, and feels good. It’s one of the greats."
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"As impressive as their believable characterizations and extraordinary vocal talents is the cast’s dazzling execution of Trujillo’s killer choreography...Enhanced by an artistic design that is at once dazzling and refined...A stellar production that elevates the quality of jukebox musicals with its engaging story and direction, top-notch performances, sophisticated design, and a selection of high-voltage choreographed hits that keeps the legacy of Motown alive."
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"This jukebox musical not only has life, it also has wit, intelligence, while also looking stunning and full of energy...It’s as funny, revealing and moving as it is hummable and toe-tapping...Music is the route to personal salvation as well as fame and success, with Morisseau excellent at elevating detail amid the grand sweep...Instead of telling these storylines in an overwrought style, or even telling them at length, Morisseau and McAnuff figure out a lean, clever middle way."
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"Morrisseau ‘s timeline is fuzzy, and while there is the feeling of a sketchy paint-by-numbers, 'and then we did,' in the narration, the music lifts and soars over the enormous theater...All the dancers in 'Ain’t Too Proud' are outstanding, but it is undeniably the lead, Ephraim Sykes, trained by Alvin Ailey, who delivers the money moves, laser-sharp steps, and breathtaking leaps."
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“A brilliantly-tooled entertainment, bursting with explosive onstage talent, fortified with Olympian stamina...You don’t have to be a dyed-in-the-wool Temptations fan to want to start gyrating in your seat...While it never quite escapes the feeling that we’re being...fed a checklist of narrative points, it’s a fairly compelling story...McAnuff’s staging is masterful...The numbers exponentially heighten the excitement with great singing and Trujillo’s choreography.”
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"[T]here's something about 'Ain't Too Proud' that distinguishes it from most jukebox musicals. All of the leads have been with the show since June, and there is a real sense of familiarity among the actors, of hard-won love, of having lived, fought, and performed with one another."
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