Ain’t Too Proud
is a jukebox musical that celebrates the life and times of The Temptations. A leading pioneer of R&B and soul music, The Temptations sold millions of records on the strength of the group's chart-topping songs. The story chronicles the group's rise with Motown Records in the 1960s to its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the members struggle to deal with the vagaries of fame and the fractious dynamic between them.
Ain’t Too Proud
is based on the biography of The Temptations' founder, Otis Williams. Detroit-based playwright Dominique Morisseau, a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2018, adapted the biography into a book for the musical. Tony Award-winning stage veteran Des McAnuff was brought in as the director. With the pieces in place,
Ain’t Too Proud
made its worldwide debut at the
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
on Aug. 31, 2017. Productions were then staged in Washington DC, Los Angeles and Toronto. After a positive reception, the musical opened on Broadway’s
Imperial Theatre
on March 21, 2019. The Broadway production received 12 nominations from the 2019 Tony Awards, winning for Best Choreography.
If you want to attend a live performance, then you can purchase
Ain’t Too Proud
New York tickets at the online marketplace StubHub.
Ain’t Too Proud
is being staged at its original Broadway home, the Imperial Theatre. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre resides in the heart of New York’s theater district. The venue has a seating capacity of 1,457. Accessible seating with companion seating is available in the orchestra section.
The Broadway show stars Derrick Baskin as Otis Williams, Jawan M. Jackson as Melvin Franklin, Jelani Remy as Eddie Kendricks, James Harkness as Paul Williams, Ephraim Sykes as David Ruffin, Jarvis B. Manning, Jr. as Al Bryant, Nasia Thomas as Tammi Terrell, Taylor Symone Jackson as Johnnie Mae Matthews, Jahi Kearse as Berry Gordy, Christian Thompson as Smokey Robinson, Candice Marie Woods as Diana Ross, Rashidra Scott as Josephine Miles, Joshua Morgan as Shelly Berger, Saint Aubyn as Dennis Edwards, E. Clayton Cornelious as Richard Street and Shawn Bowers as Lamont.
Ain’t Too Proud
features some of the biggest hits from The Temptations, including Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, Baby Love, Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today), Cloud Nine, Come See About Me, Don’t Look Back, For Once in My Life, Get Ready, Gloria, I Can’t Get Next to You, I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You), (I Know) I’m Losing You, I Want a Love I Can See, I Wish It Would Rain, If I Could Build My Whole World Around You, If You Don’t Know Me By Now, I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, In the Still of the Night, Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me), My Girl, Papa Was Rollin’ Stone, Runaway Child, Running Wild, Shout, Since I Lost My Baby, Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are), The Way You Do the Things You Do, War, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, You Can’t Hurt Love and You’re My Everything.
Ain’t Too Proud
features infectious song and dance numbers based on actual performances by The Temptations. These songs simultaneously serve to entertain the audience and drive the story along. It is not strictly a sing-through musical because there is plenty of dialogue as well. The running time is two hours and 30 minutes with a single intermission.
If you are a fan of jukebox musicals, then you might want to check out the Tony Award-winning
Jersey Boys
, which tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, or
Motown: The Musical
.