“Motown:The Musical is Broadway’s record-breaking smash hit that tells the true story behind the beat that changed minds, touched lives and took the world by storm. Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations – Motown: The Musical  shows how these legendary artists and so many more created the soundtrack that transformed America. With over 40 classic songs such as “My Girl,” “What’s Going On,” “Dancing in the Street,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” this explosive Broadway event is the next chapter of Motown’s incredible history – and an experience you’ll never forget.”

https://youtu.be/7ScXWusn2AU

Based upon Berry Gordy’s 1994 memoir “To Be Loved,” Motown:The Musical foregoes much of the the drama to focus squarely on the hits.  Attendees can expect blistering hot renditions of the music of Black R&B icons that shaped nearly every musical genre of today. If you missed the show during its Broadway run, don’t despair. After a two year hiatus, the show has begun its American tour. So far, the reviews have been exactly what one would expect from a show that captures the music chronicling the spectrum of Black life, love and politics.

“A towering stack of musical memories! The greatest pop hits of our collective lifetimes just keep on coming! Motown rocks the rafters! –New Jersey Newsroom

Audiences who have already seen the show on tour agree.

After tonight @AllisonSemmes is officially bae! SHE SLAYED THAT SHOW TONIGHT LIKE WHAT?!?!! It's should be illegal to slay that much

— bri. (@Pumkin_Poo) August 13, 2015

The niece and nephew loved @MotownMusical SO much. It's 11pm and they're singing the Jackson 5. No one is sleeping tonight.

— Farrah Rochon (@FarrahRochon) August 10, 2015

Had a wonderful evening jamming out to @MotownMusical at @ATTPAC. Highly recommend for Broadway lovers and music aficionados alike!

— paige (@paigeraiczyk) August 9, 2015

The original tour cast included Clifton Oliver and Allison Semmes as Berry Gordy and Diana Ross, Nicholas Christopher as Smokey Robinson, Jarran Muse as Marvin Gaye, and Leon Outlaw, Jr. and Reed L. Shannon as  Young Berry Gordy and the roles of Young Michael Jackson and Young Stevie Wonder.  Also, ensemble members Erick Buckley, Patrice Covington, Christian Dante White, Jamarice Daughtry, Tamar Davis, Lynorris Evans, Melanie Evans, Devon Goffman, Jennie Harney, Latrisa Harper, Rod Harrelson, Robert Hartwell, Rodney Earl Jackson, Jr., Trisha Jeffrey, Grasan Kingsberry, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Jarvis Manning, Krisha Marcano, Marq Moss, Rashad Naylor, Chadaè , Ramone Owens, Nicholas Rowe, Jamison Scott, Douglas Storm, Martina Sykes and Galen Williams all graced the stage that opening night in Chicago.

For more information on tickets and upcoming tour stops, click here.

To see the current tour cast check here.

The post Here Come’s Motown: The Musical on Tour! appeared first on Broadway Black.

Berry Gordy created the book for this show based on his 1994 autobiography To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown. The play follows Gordy’s life as he creates and runs Motown with an all-too-familiar cast of characters.  Major players in the musical are Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson.

The show was nominated for four Tony awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Musical) (Valisia LeKae); Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role (Musical) (Charl Brown); Best Orchestrations (Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook); and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Peter Hylenski). Despite all of the rave reviews for this show it did not receive a nomination for Best Musical.

Rumors have bubbled up several times since this show hit stages that a film would be certain to come.  However, there has not seemed to be a solid answer from Gordy or a definitive timeline.

“Oh yeah, it’s always in the works — been in the works a long time with different people talking to us about it. But we’re just focusing on this right now. The movie will come when it comes.” says Gordy in an interview with The Detroit News this past October.

For now, you can get your Motown: The Musical fix with the national tour that started in April 2014. In addition, Motown is scheduled to return to Broadway in Summer 2016 and make it’s debut on The West End in February 2016. For more information on the show or how to get tickets visit Motownthemusical.com

The post Motown: The Musical Coming to a Movie Theatre Near You? appeared first on Broadway Black.