Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations finally goes on tour and its coming to the Buell Theatre in Denver, so grab some tickets and come to the amazing story of Five Guys, One Dream, and a Sound That Would Make Music History! The electrifying new musical written by three-time Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, and features choreography by the now Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo who won his Tony for this very production! Follow the extraordinary journey of The Temptations’ as they go from the 1960s streets of Detroit to the grand Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a story made of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal all set to the group’s greatest hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and many, many more.

The Tony Award winning musical – Ain’t Too Proud, featuring the unforgettable and great music of The Temptations. A Tony award winning musical about a group of extremely talented and award-winning musicians from the mean streets of 1960 Detroit, that released a long series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. Combining their hallmark choreography, distinctive harmonies, and dapper dress style, making them instantly recognizable and uniquely Temptations, the group released 4 Billboard Hot 100 number 1 singles, 14 R&B number 1 singles and a staggering 42 Top Ten songs earning them 3 Grammy Awards, for “Cloud Nine” in 1969, was the first Grammy to be won by a Motown signed group, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” won the Temptations their second Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Group, and then in 2013 “Cloud Nine” earned the group the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Their recordings of “My Girl”, “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)”, and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”, are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and their release, in 1984, of their recording of the single “Treat Her Like a Lady” became their biggest hit success since 1975. Known for their pioneering of psychedelic soul, the Temptations were instrumental in the evolution of R&B and soul music genres. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music, with over 50 years and multiple chart-topping songs later, “My Girl”, is still their signature song to this day.

Ain’t Too Proud is a 2018 jukebox musical with music and lyrics by The Temptations, it is written by three-time Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, and featuring choreography by the now Tony Award winning Sergio Trujillo, who won his Award for this Broadway production in 2020. The story is based on the book, The Temptations written by Otis Williams and featured 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 performance first opened at a variety of venues, initially appearing at Berkeley Rep in 2017, the show moved to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC where it ran from June 19, through to July 22, 2018, it then moved to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California where it ran from August 21, until September 30, 2018, and finally onto the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Ontario where the production ran from October to November 2018. The musical finally reached Broadway in 2019 at the Imperial Theatre, opening in March and running till March 2020 when the show suspended production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While on Broadway the production was nominated for 11 Tony Award and won the Award for Best Choreography.

The Temptations Balance Crossover Success and Racial Identity in Dominique Morisseau’s AIN’T TOO PROUD, a review for BroadwayWorld by Michael Dale.

“While the great Motown songs like “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” may be AIN’T TOO PROUD’s main attraction, Morisseau’s well-crafted storytelling proves just as important as the musical memories. This is the Broadway debut for the MacArthur Genius Grant recipient whose brilliant Off-Broadway contributions have included SKELETON CREW, PIPELINE and the trio of plays making up THE DETROIT PROJECT. Perhaps the next time her work appears on Broadway, the main attraction will be the music made by this exciting playwright’s words.”

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.

“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