Motown: The Musical NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (521)
See it if Because I grew up in the Motown era, I think I enjoyed this more than I would have otherwise
Don't see it if You expect more than just an evening of reminiscing about Motown music
See it if you like Motown songs and/or stories that are based on real people more or less true events.
Don't see it if you don't loud music or motown songs and/or stories that are based on true events or people.
See it if u like jukebox musicals; amazing talent, great dancing; go back in time and learn Motown history; u don't mind neighbors singining outloud.
Don't see it if u don't like LOUD music (they should fix this); u want splashy sets (seemed amateur); u don't like Motown music; u prefer new music for Bway
See it if You like Mowtown, stories about singers from the 60s to the 90s and know the songs
Don't see it if Musical biographies are not something you enjoy
See it if you love the music of Motown! or love jukebox musicals, concerts, revue type shows, you care about glitz, glam, music, fun! light happy show
Don't see it if you want something deeper, more dense, something new, you want something more than just a jukebox show, or hate jukebox shows, you want plot
See it if you love the music of Motown and enjoy high-energy singing. It's a great time if you love the music.
Don't see it if you are not familiar with the music, as otherwise the relatively weak book will be a serious drawback.
See it if Loud music is enjoyable. Great history lessons both musically and socially.can be learned
Don't see it if Early rock and roll , soul music is not your thing
See it if you are a huge fan of Motown music ... this was written by Berry Gordy himself so its chalk-full of the good songs!
Don't see it if you want new original songs ... there's only 1-2 new songs in this show (although, I greatly enjoyed them)
Critic Reviews (23)
"It is mostly standard-issue hagiography...But all doubts dissipate as those songs keep coming at us. And Randolph-Wright's slick, sleek production, with exhilarating choreography of non-stop movement and an amazing band, makes the music come alive in sound, motion and emotion. 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours' is one of them; and I felt that the same about the show by the time it reached its uproarious finale...It is thrilling to see so much exceptional talent on one stage."
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"Eager as I am as the next person to learn more about the Motown mogul, I was disappointed at how little I discovered. The appeal of this all-too-typical modern musical lies in the capacity of the 50 numbers. The musical’s book is a shaky vehicle largely designed to facilitate the songs...It’s a fascinating rags-to-riches story but this version leaves all the key questions unanswered...The music, of course, is what people will go for and it is put across with great pizzazz."
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"There’s rich dramatic potential in the Detroit label’s history. Instead, we get a squished potted-history using Gordy’s own dismal, stiff dialogue...Still, the band is tight, the top notes hit, the large ensemble have buckets of sass and groove, and audiences inevitably approach these much-loved songs with a sizeable portion goodwill...But 'Motown, the Musical' shines far less brightly, lacking smarts as well as soul."
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"Squeezing the well-known hits into one show proves hard especially when there is a story to tell and the first half suffers from medley-itis at times. But then the changes in the social and political climate are sketched in including Martin Luther King, the Ku Klux Klan and the protests against the Vietnam War so the songs take on a greater weight and are given more room to breathe."
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"The irresistible Motown catalog is the real star here. But after a while you begin to crave a little more connective tissue between the golden oldies...Still the performers are joyous and bright, winning us over with their sense of fun and exuberance...To be fair, if what you really want is a high-voltage blast from R&B's past, this musical will satisfy you. The sketchy book can't dim the propulsive power of the songs. Ain't no mountain high enough for that."
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"Over 50 tunes are housed in an airbrushed, hackneyed history of Motown that pales next to the ecstatic force of the music...The 'Motown' dialogue is littered with trite, clunky lines...But as whirlwind news images whisk us through the turbulent 1960s, 'Motown’s success is wisely placed in a cultural-political context of emerging black pride and civil-rights activism...Yet it’s the soulful, snappy, slickly staged music numbers that sell the show."
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"It is true that ‘jukebox’ musicals like this usually lack a deep and meaningful story, and this is no exception...However, this show is all about the songs. About 50 of them are performed throughout the show, although not all of them receive the full treatment...Quite frankly, who cares if the story is a little too simple? 'Motown The Musical' is two and a half hours of musical happiness, and I had an absolute blast."
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