Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations (Los Angeles)

"If it take a while to move from exposition to the drama that ensues when five very different men attempt to make music together year after year after year, it’s more than worth the wait...Finely-tuned, dramatically compelling musical extravaganza, 'Ain’t Too Proud' features thirty-one Motown hits performed by a spectacular cast with acting chops to match their vocal prowess." Full Review

"'Ain’t Too Proud' at the Ahmanson Theatre puts the music front and center, and under Des McAnuff’s expert direction, the performers give themselves over fully to the experience. The magic of the music takes over...Something very special emerges, even as the story itself hits familiar beats...The best moments come when the songs tell the story...All five performers who play the Temptations are spectacular, each with moments of greatness, each with his own style." Full Review

"Avoids 'Motown‘s' by-the-numbers biographical route through its powerful song-and-dance-numbers, once again reminding listeners what made the Temptations so good in the first place. The show also shines in its transitional moments...Including so many moving parts can mean the the important points of history can get lost in the mix...But those are small misses in a production that re-introduces the pomp and circumstance of the Temptations back to the mainstream." Full Review

"Choreographer Sergio Trujillo's dance moves contribute so much to the enjoyment of 'Ain't Too Proud.' Under McAnuff's circular staging and dizzying pace, all the performers give electric performances. But if I had to mention one standout, it is Sykes as David Ruffin who steals the show...The main weakness of the show is its book by Dominique Morisseau, who inserts plot elements as brief scenarios that are reduced to mere snippets because of the dominance of the music." Full Review

"Better at conveying the band’s story through the music than through Dominique Morisseau’s book. The narrative is loose and conventional, but nothing can get in the way of the production’s vibrancy when the actors are grooving at full tilt...What the performers do manage to replicate to perfection is the energy of the music...It’s the showmanship, not the story, that makes 'Ain’t Too Proud' an entertaining addition to the admittedly lesser jukebox genre." Full Review

"Many of the most interesting challenges the group faced feel glossed over in the context of the musical...Jukebox musicals are about the music first and foremost, and this music is extraordinary...What the show lacks in terms of a compelling book it attempts to make up for in sheer energy and enthusiasm...There is certainly an audience for this musical, and big fans of the group’s music will find plenty to enjoy, but in terms of jukebox bio-musicals, it does not exactly break the mold." Full Review

"The less you know about the Temptations, the more you’ll get out of 'Ain’t Too Proud'...This show’s got a lot going for it, between the sheer quality of the beloved R&B vocal group’s catalog and director Des McAnuff’s experience with such material, and yet, considering that the Temptations have several SoCal playdates this September, it’s hard to compete with the thrill of seeing the actual group in concert...Compared to 'Dreamgirls,' this show feels like a glorified PowerPoint presentation." Full Review

"As a pop culture artifact and the latest entry in Broadway’s glut of bio-musicals based on extraordinary performers and stellar music catalogs, 'Ain't Too Proud,' at the moment at least, is also an example of missed opportunities. When you've got some of the greatest, coolest, most remarkable songs ever written — and a glorious cast to interpret them — for the love of God, please don't keep interrupting them." Full Review