MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Previews — Page 4

I was making reference to another poster (in a different MOTOWN-related thread) that many audiences were "drinking, eating, and texting" throughout the show. I just assumed from their statement that eating meals openly will be part of the growing MOTOWN audience culture.

Perhaps the producers should consider raffling off a Diana Ross wig at each performance.

Growl,

No need to pretend that you're taking your mom to see this when you just really want to go yourself. I hope "mom" has fun though and she doesn't sing along too loudly!

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This show is definitely running too long at the moment. I work at a little theatre shop across the street and they were just letting out at 11:00...

"dreading the audience".

Then why go?

You likely know all the songs already and can hear them performed better by the original artists on recordings, and you likely know the book is going to be one hot mess.

So seriously, if the audience is an issue for you, why bother?

Since you already bought a ticket, I suggest an "if ya can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude and whoop it up with everyone else. Cocktails might help. This thing isn't freaking Sondheim, after all.

Saw the show Weds night and think it's going to be a big hit. The cast are superb and it's great to hear all those hit songs performed so well. The audience really wanted the show and were not disappointed. The choreography is fresh, entertaining, and the numbers really land. Valisia Lakae gives a winning performance as Diana Ross and
Brandon Victor Dixon is simply wonderful as Berry Gordy. His talent and charisma shine throughout the show, even in the sometimes clunky book scenes. Speaking of the book, they should cut as much of it as they can, especially in Act II where the scenes drag the show down. But the songs and dances lift the show up by the end and send the audience out singing and dancing into the streets! It was really good to have such a positive experience after suffering through the dreary Kinky Boots on Tuesday.

Going tonight. Having the cocktails now! Didn't mean to sound so negative. Just based that comment on things I heard out of the first week of previews.

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This past week, the attendance at Motown was 103.6 percent (I've never figured out how that's possible) -- a higher percentage than any other show, including Book of Mormon. True, it didn't make as much money, but even going by $ it was one of the top 10 highest-grossing shows, with more than a million dollars of tickets sold.
"Baby, It's You," by contrast never grossed more than about half that in any given week, and hovered around 80 percent attendance.
So even the numbers here tell you the response to the two shows is very different.

Since Hands On A Hardbody is closing, Motown is my next choice during Tony Week. If you go to Ticketmaster and click on Wednesdays (June 5 and June 12) there are no Wednesday night shows. Anybody know why? If the evening performance was sold out, it would still come up as no tickets available. The matinee on June 5 is my choice anyway, but just curious.

I saw this last Friday and thankfully anticipated audience participation. I have to hand it to the staff at the Lunt Fontanne trying to keep the audience in line as throughout people tried take pictures/video throughout the evening.

I thought it was very well done, but there was way too much music. I found that every time the Berry Gordy character was given an original song to sing, the show came to a halt. I found the Gordy/Diane Ross scenes quite boring.

My favorite number in the show was "Dancing in the Streets" in Act 1 and the Jackson 5.

And many thanks to the woman in my row to reprimand the group of woman behind us for singing throughout the show. Her words, "I came here to see the show, NOT YOU!!"

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Can someone post the song list on here?

65?! Oh wow.


Also did any of you see the Motown the Musical 100 Song recording that's on iTunes?

The Playbill lists the songs in alphabetical order as well as opposed to the order (and group) in which they're sung.

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The cut songs are still listed in the Playbill

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