Ain’t Too Proud: Life and Times of The Temptations, comes to the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium! An absolutely incredible musical about one of the great R & B bands who entertained the world from the 1960s right up into the 1980s. Based on the story of the life and times of The Temptations, the musical features the bands original music and lyrics, their fabulous and dapper style, and their extraordinary story that takes you from the down and mean back streets of Detroit, to the mad rush and heady euphoria of success and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The groups signature dance moves effortlessly sliding you from the scene to scene, and the Temptations unmistakable harmonies move your very soul from their unbelievable heights to the tragic lows of the loss of members. So, grab some tickets now and prepare for a smooth glide through the swingin’ 60s in a most remarkable story, Ain’t Too Proud: Life and Times of The Temptations!
Ain’t Too Proud Tickets:
2019 Tony Award winner!
2020 Grammy Award Nominated for Best Musical Theater Album!
Ain’t Too Proud is a energetic and exciting juke-box musical extravaganza that celebrates the incredible journey of the Temptations, from their early beginnings on the streets of Detroit all the way up to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This musical features the groups signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies as they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with a staggering 14 number ones’!!! Ain’t Too Proud is the unbelievable story of how they met, the groundbreaking heights they hit, how they single-handedly took Motown Records to a whole new level, and dramatically, how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the very fabric of the group apart, just as the United States fell into civil unrest. It’s a thrilling story of new found brotherly love, family, undying loyalty, and running beneath it all, betrayal. Created by an award-winning team, the show pulses to the beat of the group’s most treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”.
The musical – Ain’t Too Proud, featuring the life and times of the music of The Temptations, is a Tony award winning musical about a group of extremely talented musicians. Originally, an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, The Temptations released a string of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. Over the years, The Temptations brought to the world, four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, fourteen R & B number-one singles, and winning the group three Grammy Awards! Including, in 1969, the very first Motown recording company Grammy Award for their smash single, “Cloud Nine”. And finally, in 2014 The Temptations became the first Motown Records group to be awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The music world has never been the same since!
Three of their signature songs, “My Girl”, “Just My Imagination”, and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”, are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs. The group was influential in shaping the sound of Rock and Roll music. In 1973, the distinctive “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” won the Temptations their second Grammy for Best R & B performance by a Group. The 1984 recording of “Treat Her Like a Lady”, became their biggest success on R & B radio since 1975. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music, known for pioneering psychedelic soul, the group was especially significant in the evolution of R & B and soul music. Now, over 50 years later, and multiple chart-topping songs later, “My Girl”, is still their signature song to this day.
“Dazzling & electrifying!” – The Washington Post
“Pretty close to perfection!” – The New York Times
“Stunning and full of energy.” – The Daily Beast
“It makes for slick, straightforward, tuneful and altogether pleasant entertainment.” – amNY
With music and lyrics by The Temptations, Ain’t Too Proud: Life and Times of The Temptations’ story is penned by three-time Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, it is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, and features some absolutely mind blowing choreography by the now Tony Award winning Sergio Trujillo, who won his Award for this very Broadway production in 2020.
The story is created from the popular book, The Temptations, which was written by one of the groups most famous members, Otis Williams! The musical alsor features a design team including, scenery by Robert Brill, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley, sound by Steve Canyon Kennedy, and projections by Peter Nigrini. The production first ran as a series of regional productions, at The Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC from June to July 2018, the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for August to September 2018, and Berkley Rep in October 2018 and finally in Toronto, at the Princess of Wales Theatre where the production ran October to November 2018, before finally making it way to Broadway’s Imperial Theatre in March 2019. Unfortunately, the first opening in Broadway had to be cut short as the world shut down, but not before the production was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won the Award for Best Choreography.
“The big draw of course are those timeless Motown tunes-most of them written by Smokey Robinson and Norman Whitfield: “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” “Papa Was A Rolling Stone.” And thankfully, Director Des McAnuff put the songs front and center, bringing out the best in his outrageously talented company. But when it comes to biographical shows, it’s nearly impossible to break from the clichéd formulas-the rise from rags to riches, the ravages of fame, the usual demons: drugs, booze, family sacrifice; and all of it magnified by the ever-present specter of racism.” – Review by Roma Torre, for NY1
As befits a show about the Temptations, the most infectiously rhythmic of chart-topping R&B groups, “Ain’t Too Proud” keeps time in style. I don’t mean that solely in terms of a beat that makes you feel like dancing.