Joan Marcus
Just like the real-life Temptations, their life story Ain’t Too Proud is on the road again, and the show still electrifies. Hotchka has previously reviewed the show in 2022 and 2024, with different casts, so if you’d like a little more background about the show’s history, please check those out.
Ain’t Too Proud takes the audience on a journey, with Otis Williams as our guide, narrating the story of how he went from juvenile delinquent at the age of 16 to a member of the biggest selling R&B group in Motown’s history. The story is full of highs, like when Otis and his group are given a chance to prove themselves by none other than Motown founder Barry Gordy — with help from songwriter Smokey Robinson — to the lows of in-fighting among the group, the pressures of fame, drug use, and untimely deaths. The story also hints at a rivalry with The Supremes, and the tragic story of Tammi Terrell. It is a vibrant tale full of familiar music, and one that becomes deeply emotional as the years wear on, ending on a high note, even if it is rather bittersweet.
This production of Ain’t Too Proud is just as electric and vibrant as the others, with a really eye-popping production. The set itself has been pared down a bit, with some major pieces like the theatre marquee and doors now depicted on video screens (which still have a really convincing three-dimensional look to them), while the other on-screen animated graphics and images often give you a sense of movement. Robert Brill’s Scenic Design and Peter Nigrini’s Projection Design really bring the production to vivid life. They work in conjunction with Ryan O’Gara’s brilliant Lighting Design that is an integral part of the visuals, not just to keep the stage lit so we can see the characters, but the lights are also used to highlight characters during some of their more dramatic moments, particularly near the end when Otis recounts what has happened to the original members of the group over the years. The lighting packs just as emotional a punch as do the performances. Oscar and newly minted Tony winner Paul Tazewell’s costumes also help tell the Temptations’ story through the years, mostly in muted monochrome colors with some pops like Melvin Franklin’s blue coat and the colorful, sparkly gowns worn by the Supremes.
Joan Marcus
Ain’t Too Proud is a show that lives or dies on the shoulders of its cast. If you don’t have actors who can sing and perform the group’s signature choreography, here directed by Sergio Trujillo, you just end up with a bunch of karaoke singers. No need to worry about that with this production as the cast sings and dances their way through The Legendary Motown Catalog, as the Playbill describes it (yes, there is a lot more than just Temptations music in the show). Each member of the group expertly handles the steps, never missing a beat, always in sync with great precision, giving a truly physical performance and all while singing each note to perfection, nicely replicating the sound of the Temptations (and the Supremes) without trying to do an exact imitation.
The large cast is headed by Rudy Foster as Otis Williams, the last surviving member of the group (and still with us today, performing with the current Temptations line-up at the age of 83 after he and Melvin Franklin made a pact to never quit the group). Foster is on stage for practically the entire show, singing, dancing and narrating the highs and lows of his life and of the group and its various members, expertly showing Otis’ jubilant moments as well as his lows as he tries to keep the group and his marriage from falling apart. Williams has to be the person the audience trusts most to tell this story, and Foster is warm and welcoming, the real heart of the story. Unlike Jersey Boys, which gives each member of The Four Seasons a chance to tell their side of the story, Ain’t Too Proud is decidedly Otis Williams’ story (it is based on his book The Temptations) so it may seem a little one-sided but Foster delivers Williams’ viewpoint with a feeling of total honesty, giving us the facts of the group’s story and the members’ personal struggles, never painting any of the bad behavior a villainous, matter-of-factly describing the demons that some of the guys faced as fame began to consume them, particularly David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks. Foster’s Otis is also not some high-and-mighty character either, with his performance also showing Otis’ flaws when it came to his family (though the show only features Williams’ first wife and son). Foster’s performance gives a sense of authenticity to the man he is portraying, the guiding light of the story even with his imperfections.
Jameson Clanton is excellent as bass singer Melvin Franklin, bringing his own deep bass voice to the role. Franklin gets to be a bit of the show’s comic relief at times with his skirt-chasing antics and his strutting when he buys a vibrant blue coat, earning him the nickname ‘Blue’. Through thick and thin, and even when he didn’t agree with some of Otis’ decisions when it came to having to cut someone from the group because of their behavior, his devotion to the Temptations and to Williams never wavers. Clanton has a remarkable voice and he brings a playful personality to the role. Bryce Valle is outstanding as Paul Williams (no relation to Otis), the group’s de facto choreographer, and very often the one who sided with Williams during some tough calls. Valle can move and he has a wonderful voice, and of the original members of the group, he is the one who gets the biggest, most emotional end to his story and Valle is magnificent, getting a very well-earned round of applause as his scene ends, which also sets up the wave of emotions yet to come as the story rolls to its conclusion. Rounding out the core four of the group is Lowes Moore as Eddie Kendricks, the group’s tenor but often singing in falsetto, which Moore handles with ease. Kendricks and Paul Williams were actually singing together when Otis convinced them to join his group (not quite the Temptations at that point, but he was getting paid bookings), and Moore plays Kendricks as the most business-minded of the group, making sure they all got equal pay for their bookings. He was also the most resistant to change willing to give any of the troublesome members of the group as many chances as they needed. Moore brings a lot of charm to the role, and when he sings he uses his voice to make you feel like he’s singing directly to you.
Joan Marcus
Rounding out the original group line-up, the foundation of the Temptations as Otis puts it, was David Ruffin, usually played by Josiah Travis Kent Rogers but understudied by Corey Mekell at our performance. Mekell brings an energy to the role that feels as if he can barely contain it. He fits in with the group just fine at the beginning, but it isn’t long before he tries to declare himself the lead singer, even wanting to rename the group David Ruffin and the Temptations. Mekell’s Ruffin becomes more and more manic as the fame, and his drug use, begins to take a toll. After Ruffin’s dismissal from the group, there are some funny moments as he keep crashing their performances with new singer Dennis Edwards, and while Mekell portrays Ruffin as a hothead, but never a villain. And boy can he do some splits. J’Khalil White took on the role of Dennis Edwards at our performance (usually played by Jamal Stone), bringing a nice energy to the role even has he has to battle Ruffin at his impromptu performances with the group. He manages to shine in the role even has he comes into the story a bit later.
Also doing some great work in this production in non-singing roles are Kerry D’Jovanni as Barry Gordy, and Colin Stephen Kane as Shelly Berger, the group’s Motown-appointed manager who is often caught in the middle of the group’s disputes with Gordy and themselves. Cedric Jamaal Greene also makes an impression as Smokey Robinson, and Jasmine Barboa (Diana Ross), Kaila Symone Crowder (Florence Ballard) and Reyanna Edwards (Mary Wilson) do a great job at evoking the essence of The Supremes (and they pull double-duty with some other key roles in the show). Crowder also plays Tammi Terrell in a few brief scenes, completely unrecognizable from her performance as Ballard thanks to the wigs and costumes.
Everyone in this production of Ain’t Too Proud truly shines up on that stage, giving each of their characters a distinct personality, singing and dancing their hearts out, bringing both laughter and tears to the audience through their performances. Combined with the great production, the costumes, lighting, choreography and original direction by Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud is a jukebox musical that has a real story built around the music, using the music as a timeline of the group’s success, but also using some of the song’s to punctuate a specific moment, particularly near the end with the use of both ‘For Once in my Life’ and ‘What Becomes of the Brokenhearted’, giving those songs even more powerful meanings that may require a Kleenex or two. Jukebox musicals try to string together well-known songs to create a story, some successfully, others not so much, but Ain’t Too Proud expertly uses the songs of Motown to drive the story that Otis Williams wrote, weaving the songs throughout to illustrate a particular moment in their career timeline as well as to underscore other moments in their lives. Ain’t Too Proud is definitely a show that remains fresh and vibrant and immensely entertaining no matter how many times you see it.
Ain’t Too Proud runs about 2 hours and 35 minutes with one 20 minute intermission. Recommended for ages 12 and up (the show contains a few curse words — nothing like Jersey Boys — a brief moment of domestic abuse, and some drug use).
Ain’t Too Proud runs through June 22 at Washington DC’s National Theatre. Other cities on the schedule include West Palm Beach, Oxford (Alabama), Charlotte, and Kansas City. Visit the official website for more information. Use our Ticketmaster link to purchase tickets.
Ain’t Too Proud | 2025 National Tour Preview
Ain’t Too Proud Musical
Check our Ticketmaster link for ticket availability.
