Ain't Too Proud Officially Heading to Broadway- Page 3

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 8/25/18 at 5:41pm

Goodness, it's amazing how this particular show gets such vitrolic reactions.  I'll be Switzerland and say just give the show a chance.  

[bear88]

Posted: 8/26/18 at 7:31pm

A couple of decidedly tepid reviews. I basically agree with the LA Times review, although Sykes didn't have vocal problems when I saw him. 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/theater/reviews/la-et-cm-aint-too-proud-review-20180826-story.html

https://variety.com/2018/legit/reviews/l-a-theater-review-aint-too-proud-the-life-and-times-of-the-temptations-1202917200/

Peter Marks liked it more in the Washington Post when it was in D.C. He's right about the choreography and performances.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/choreography-lifts-aint-too-proud-above-other-jukebox-musicals/2018/06/28/0d38abde-7ada-11e8-8df3-007495a78738_story.html?utm_term=.278697fd0505

Updated On: 10/24/18 at 07:31 PM

[LaneBryant]

Posted: 8/27/18 at 1:25am

YvanEhtNioj said: "One of my best friends was in one of the tryouts for the show. I told him, like most of you, I didnt see the point since we already have Motown. 

We literally have 9,026 shows of white people whiting, but because we had "Motown", having a Temptations musical is too much? Okay, Connor........Thanks for that. *rolls my eyes back into blackness*

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/27/18 at 1:54am

Well, I get what he's saying. Motown kind of covered this story already - and was a hit. So why retread? And it seems like the reviews are kind of saying the same thing. 

I just think the bio-musical is a tired, tired form. 

[A Director]

Posted: 8/27/18 at 2:08am

RippedMan said: "
I just think the bio-musical is a tired, tired form."

So, you are not going to see The Cher Show?!?

 

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 8/27/18 at 9:17am

LaneBryant said: "YvanEhtNioj said: "One of my best friends was in one of the tryouts for the show. I told him, like most of you, I didnt see the point since we already have Motown.

We literally have 9,026shows ofwhite people whiting, but because we had "Motown", having a Temptations musical is too much? Okay, Connor........Thanks for that. *rolls my eyes back into blackness*
"

Hi. Hello. I'm black. 

That's not what I was saying. Do I want more shows focusing around the black experience? Hell yes. But I don't want to see what feels like a "spin off" of something that has already been told. Motown, though not everyone's favorite, did an okay job at telling their story. This feels like it's not really adding anything new. Which is what the reviews say as well. 

Updated On: 8/27/18 at 09:17 AM

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 8/27/18 at 9:18am

RippedMan said: "Well, I get what he's saying. Motown kind of covered this story already - and was a hit. So why retread? And it seems like the reviews are kind of saying the same thing.

I just think the bio-musical is a tired, tired form."

Thank you :) 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/27/18 at 10:20am

Of course I'm seeing Cher, duh. But I would take a Head Over Heels over a Summer any day. I like when they try to shoehorn a show into a plot. It's fun, it's campy. I don't want to hear the same tired stories over again. Misunderstood then suddenly a superstar... blah.

[Catsbroadwayfan]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 1:00pm

This show just got slammed with negative reviews for its pre broadway engagement. Its being called a “glorified powerpoint presentation”

Good luck to them, but if out of town reviewers are
This harsh, cant wait to hear broadway reviewers!

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 1:46pm

Catsbroadwayfan said: "This show just got slammed with negative reviews for its pre broadway engagement. Its being called a “glorified powerpoint presentation”

Good luck to them, but if out of town reviewers are
This harsh, cant wait to hear broadway reviewers!"

I wouldn’t say that the show has gotten “slammed with negative reviews”. In fairness, the reviews have been mixed, and almost all of them acknowledge the entertainment value of the show’s very talented cast and great choreography  Virtually all of the negative comments are directed at the book, and I hope they’re being addressed 

i saw the show in DC and loved it. And there’s a reason it broke every box office record at Berkeley Rep and at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater. So, I wouldn’t count out the possibility that the show could turn out to be a hit, maybe a critic proof hit  

 

 

 

 

[LostinTranslation]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 1:50pm

My understanfing is that it sold out its run at the Kennedy Center and that the crowds were dancing in the aisles. Critics be damned. Wicked got lackluster reviews, too.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 1:56pm

Baby, It's You Again.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 2:02pm

I mean, its not going to be "South Pacific" or even "Jersey Boys". it will be a fun night in the theatre, that many will want to experience. 

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 2:16pm

It wont even make it to the tonys. It wont be the next wicked.

[Sauja]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 2:23pm

LostinTranslation said: "My understanfing is that it sold out its run at the Kennedy Center and that the crowds were dancing in the aisles. Critics be damned. Wicked got lackluster reviews, too."

Crowds were also dancing in the aisles at Summer, and a couple short months later, it's playing to 60% capacity. We've simply had too many jukebox musicals. Cher might work because she has a 50 year career behind her and is a PERSONALITY, but The Temptations...they're an (incredibly important) group whose membership often changed and who haven't felt current in decades. The latter could have been said for the Four Seasons, but Jersey Boys was what, 15 years ago? And the reviews on this have been pretty brutal at each of its three stops. I don't sense this being a hit, but I've certainly been wrong before

[RemlapLBC]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 7:43pm

I saw in Los Angeles, only because it was a replacement for a show at the Ahmanson season that cancelled.  Painfully bad.  If you want to hear someone's musical journey on Broadway, go see Beautiful again.

 

[Beedlebard]

Posted: 10/23/18 at 7:12pm

I’m looking forward to the bio-musical/jukebox musical fad to be over! Sales will hopefully dictate that!

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 10/23/18 at 11:04pm

Beedlebard said: "I’m looking forward to the bio-musical/jukebox musical fad to be over! Sales will hopefully dictate that!"

Well, sales for this show have been exceedingly robust at Berkeley Rep, The Kennedy Center and the Ahmanson, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up. I saw the show in DC and I’ll see it again in NY. It’s a great night of entertainment. A better show than Beautiful in my opinion. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/29/18 at 10:26am

I saw the show Friday night in Toronto. 

I can see this running the same amount of performances as Motown in the original run (738 per.) I wouldn't be around for more that 2 seasons, but not close as quickly as some think.

I say that it is better that Motown or Summer, but not as good as Jersey Boys. I think that part of the problem for me, is that I keep thinking I've seen this before, especially in Jersey Boys. You know the same director is behind the two shows. I wonder if the shows were flipped and Ain't Too Proud came out when Jersey Boys did if I would feel the same way.

The audience ate this up! They are all into the show. They love the music, and can't get enough of it. 

I was extremely impressed with the set design, lighting, and projections. They used all three very wisely in the story telling. Des McAnuff is a genius in creating stage pictures. They are the absolute best I have seen in a while. Being in the balconey. there were so many times were the staging could have been taken a photo of and used as art to sell and/or tell the story. I loved it!

I definaly think that Derrick Baskin will be in contention for the Tony Award for Best Actor. He won't win especially with some other great male roles coming up, I know he will get at least a nomination because the whole show is on his back. He carries the whole show. I believe he is never off stage for more than 10 seconds, if at all. 

Like others pointed out, the book is the weaker part of the show. The dialogue is very basic. Nothing overly special. There were parts that dragged on, and can be cut. Like, do we need three 60 second songs to show Diana Ross and the Supremes, or can we just get away with 45 seconds of Stop in the Name of Love? the Supremes are only there for the line "but the real stars of Motown were...enter The Supremes" to sing 3 cute versions of their songs. Or, the sing "War" (What is it Good For?", was suppose to be a Temptations song, can we not say that in one like of dialogue instead of having the cast sing it for 30 seconds, and then having some dialogue. 

I will say its a great time out. I enjoyed my time. Its not going to change the world like "South Pacific", or "Oklahoma", but its an enjoyable night in the theatre to relax, and have fun. If juxebox musicals aren't you thing, than pass on it. Although, the men playing the Temptations are all very good, and it was a pleasure to see them all.