MOTOWN Will Conclude Broadway Run Early on July 31- Page 3

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:19am

Ah yes, that's right. Thank you for correcting me!

[bfreak]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:33am

While I had no interest in seeing this (or the original production a few years ago), I am surprised that they pulled this so quickly. I know it would not have survived the fall well, but with a little more of an advertising and social media push this could have been a successful engagement through Labor Day at the very least.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:00pm

Clearly they had no advance or they wouldn't have "pulled" it. They would not have made it through Labor Day.

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:04pm

I liked the original production, despite the book. This one just felt tired. 

Motown The Musical: Back on Broadway

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:12pm

I'm shocked by the announcement. I feel bad for those associated with the show who were counting on the 18 weeks of employment. 

[asmith0307]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:13pm

I remember seeing this show two years ago, and when I saw it again last week, I admit I was pretty underwhelmed. It definitely felt smaller this time around. There were a few sound issues (I was at the first performance), which since I was in the second row weren't terrible, but I can only imagine what the balcony was (not) hearing. 

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 2:02pm

Do not understand how this show ran so long, and then came back. The epitome of what's wrong with jukebox musicals (55 songs? Holy s**t!), with a totally homogenized evening of watered-down songs that all of us over 50s know really well, but with no real sense of any song or period at all.

Good riddance.

 

[troynow]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 1:28pm

No advance and horrible producer who lied to an entire company of people. Folks out of work and out of pocket. An entire cast f dedicated artists many of whom rented apartments for his engagement completely let down.

 

there is finally a friends discount available at the box office on the day of for 32 bucks any seat

[Kate Monster3]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 2:11pm

troynow said: "there is finally a friends discount available at the box office on the day of for 32 bucks any seat"

Is there anything specific you need to say or do at the box office to get the friends discount? I also saw there's a student discount for $32 as well but I don't have a student ID  

[troynow]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 3:47pm

Just show up at the box office and ask for the "friends and family " discount. You wil get it. 32 bucks

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 4:19pm

How can you not like a Motown revue, even if it is sliced and diced?

This production, not surprisingly, is an ode to Berry Gordy.  In 2002 there was a part-live, part-documentary called Standing in the Shadow of Motown. It was the story of the musicians who had accompanied every Motown song until Gordy split to LA. 

Starting Motown on a shoestring, he picked up musicians on a shoestring from the local Detroit bars and clubs. Jazz, blues, rock. There was a lot of talent and also a lot of drug and alcohol abuse. This group of musicians settled in, called themselves the Funk Brothers, and played on just about every Motown hit from the Supremes, Four Tops, Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, on and on. All of these recordings were made in "Studio 1," the beat-up old garage of a modest Detroit home.

So the story of the musicians is pretty sad. They weren't highly paid, they were given no credit on any record albums, they weren't attended to when their substance abuse got them into trouble and, the final indignity, they learned that they were out of a job when they reported to Studio 1 and found a note on the door telling them that Motown had left for L.A., without them, thank you.

I haven't heard the other side, so I don't want to come down hard on Gordy, but one thing for sure, the Funk Brothers had about ten seconds of attention in Motown the Musical.

Motown fans should see this film for the nostalgia as well as for the Funk Brothers reunion concert that climaxes the film. Joan Osborne is particularly good doing the vocal for "Heat Wave" and "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted."

Updated On: 7/28/16 at 04:19 PM

[Harmonium]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 6:42pm

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 06:42 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 11:34pm

Is it worth the $32? Didn't see the orginal. Motown isn't totally my jam, but kind of curious to see it.

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 11:41pm

I'm not saying it's the reason it's closing - but it sounds like this production suffered from what happened when the revival of "Hair" closed and came back to B'way. It was scaled back and just lost it's spark. 

[@z5]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 11:46pm

Wish they did the friends and family discount online...maybe they'd sell more actually.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 11:57pm

Is there any production value or is it all flowing curtains?

[10086sunset]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 1:57pm

Was surprised it never even showed up on TDF or any papering services....

Troynow, thanks for the heads up on the $32 friends and family.

 

[Kate Monster3]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 2:06pm

I was actually going to try for the friends and family discount tonight but just won the lottery instead.  Hope its good tonight

[TNick926]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 2:14pm

Les Miserables current production on Broadway started as a national tour (first stop was Paper Mill Playhouse) in 2010 - opened on Broadway in March 2014, and seems to have done very well...one of the rare exceptions to the rule, I think.  Other touring shows that tried to play Broadway and didn't do well that I recall...Hello, Dolly with Carol, Mame with Angela...I'm sure there are lots of other examples... 

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 4:21pm

troynow said: "Just show up at the box office and ask for the "friends and family " discount. You wil get it. 32 bucks

 

Thank you for sharing this.  I had tickets that just arrived for Aug 2.  I was apprehensive at first because a colleague told me the first act was weak and didn't pick up until the second act, but I wanted to give it a chance.

Is there a ticket limit on this Friends & Family discount at the box office?  Now that I mentioned I may check it out anyway, some other friends want to go as well and I would be the sole person picking up the tickets.

Thanks for any information you might have.

 

[brdway411]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 5:42pm

I saw the original production and it was AWEFUL, worst book ever....The only thing that even remotely kept my interest were the musical numbers... Some of the staging and transitions were breathtaking. I have no desire to see this scaled down version.

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 7/28/16 at 2:28am

Got the info needed.  Thanks for posting!

[Kate Monster3]

Posted: 7/28/16 at 10:22am

Saw this last night and thought it was OK. I didn't see the original production so I have nothing to compare to, but the set did seem to be very basic and minimal.  The lottery tix put us in row J in the mezz but almost every row in front of us was completely empty so we ended up moving to the first row of the mezz in the 2nd half.  All in all I had a really good time and thought the show was decent, singing  was great, very energetic, and I loved how they interacted with the audience.  The story was a little hard to follow in the beginning but it ended up coming together.