WISCONSIN— Before One Direction, NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, The Temptations reigned supreme in the world of boy bands.
Now, the Motown marvels are shining bright on a Broadway tour.
“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” follows the original five men behind the melodies as they embark on the road from Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Tony award-winning musical features Temptations tunes including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”
Those classic tunes are a standout for audiences and actors alike.
“I think my favorite thing about portraying the icon, Eddie Kendricks, is just being able to capture the essence that he had… I think he is one of the biggest influences on a lot of male R&B artists of today, especially who sing falsetto,” Jalen Harris, who plays Eddie Kendricks, said. “And I think that’s what’s most fun for me being able to imagine being in his shoes, imagine being in his mind creatively, and be able to reinterpret it in a way that, you know, people can understand today.”
But both Harris and Elijah Ahmad Lewis, who plays David Ruffin, said even though the music is what draws most people to “Ain’t Too Proud,” it’s the behind-the-scenes stories of the band that make the show special.
“I want to depict that there are human sides to people— [David Ruffin] was a human. And it was just that his mistakes or shortcomings were put on a platform because he was a icon— he was the lead singer of the group,” Lewis said. “I always say to people that we all have skeletons in our closet, we all have things that we’ve done. But if we were on his level, you know, we would probably have those same issues too. It was just that his we just put on a platform for people to see.”
While each Temptation is an “icon,” the two leads noted the show is all about the group. The brotherhood The Temptations share has transcended backstage. All the actors playing the “Temps” have formed a brotherhood.
It’s something even the last living original Temptation, Otis Williams, can see.
“He actually came to our opening in Atlanta,” Lewis said. “It was such an honor and a treat… He always calls and texts and checks on us to see how we’re doing because, of course, he knows how the road is.”
The Temptations are on a tour of their own right now, too.
Lewis said Williams “loved the show so much.”
The cast does, too.
“I think the most rewarding part of being able to tell the story of the greatest boy band in the whole world in 2022 is the ability to not only reach people with their iconic music, but to also continue the legacy of bringing people together with the music,” Harris said. “We have a message with it. And I think the message is so relevant to today.”
The show touches on the political and personal issues the band faced. Ruffin struggles with drug addiction. Other band members fell ill or had trials in their love lifes. Collectively, The Temptations faced racial harassment; their bus was even shot at while they were on tour in the 60s and 70s.
“You are able to see that what we’re dealing with today [with the Black Lives Matter movement] is not just starting today,” Lewis said. “I think the thing that is so huge to me is when someone comes up to me after the show and says, ‘I didn’t know we did that,’ or ‘I didn’t know, that’s how we made you feel. And for that, I’m sorry.’”
Lewis wants people to come to the show with an “open heart,” and realize that people are “more alike than different.”
“People can still see the struggle that we’ve gone through and how we were able to overcome it. And I think that this show in this time… is hopefully going to bring us closer together. And music is the universal language,” Lewis said.
Harris said he hopes people leave “Ain’t Too Proud” feeling “more motivated and inspired.”
“I hope that people love people more,” he said. “Life is so short, and the very people you spend most of it with can be gone the next day.”
Lewis echoed his castmate’s sentiment, hoping audiences realize they do have a purpose, and feel empowered to go after what they want.
“It’s a night of music. It’s a night of TV. It’s a night of film. It’s a night of friendship. It’s a night. And I think after this pandemic, we all need a night,” Lewis said.
“Ain't Too Proud” ran at the Marcus Center for Performing Arts from April 5 to 10; more information can be found here. It returns to Wisconsin in June 2022 at the Overture Center for the Arts, where it will run from June 14 to 19. For more information on the Madison stop, click here. The show is set to run in June 2023 at Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.