Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations starts tonight at the historic Orpheum Theatre

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations starts tonight at the historic Orpheum Theatre

GET READY, here comes Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations. The Tony Award-winning musical that created the soundtrack for a generation is coming to Minneapolis for two weeks as the final show of the 2021-2022 Bank of America Broadway on Hennepin season June 28 to July 10 at the historic Orpheum Theatre

The show features some of The Temptations’ greatest hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” telling the thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal, as the group’s personal and political conflicts threatened to tear them apart during America’s decade of civil unrest.

We have Ain’t Too Proud for two weeks and it is the first time the show is playing in Minneapolis!

SUMMARY 

AIN’T TOO PROUD is the electrifying new musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey  from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

Twelve-time Tony Award® nominee and the winner of the 2019 Tony Award® for Best Choreography,  AIN’T TOO PROUD tells the thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal, as the group’s  personal and political conflicts threatened to tear them apart during America’s decade of civil unrest. Set  to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready” and “Papa  Was a Rolling Stone,” the unforgettable untold story of this legendary quintet takes you behind the music  like never before. 

Written by three-time Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award®  winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) and featuring the Tony-winning choreography of Sergio Trujillo (Jersey  Boys, On Your Feet!), AIN’T TOO PROUD now comes to life on Broadway and across the country. 

Ain’t Too Proud is the electrifying new musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from  the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable  harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number  one and being voted the greatest R&B group of all time by Billboard Magazine in 2017. The rest is history — how they met, the groundbreaking heights they hit, and how personal and political conflicts threatened to  tear the group apart as the United States fell into civil unrest. This thrilling story of brotherhood, family,  loyalty, and betrayal is set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My  Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and so many more. 

Written by Kennedy Prize-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award®  winner Des McAnuff, and featuring the Tony Award winning choreography of Sergio Trujillo, this dazzling  production now brings the untold story of the legendary quintet to audiences across the country.

Staring

JALEN HARRIS (Eddie Kendricks) is an accomplished singer, actor, and model, first being discovered on season ten of Fox’s “American Idol.” Jalen has been cast and seen for various television programs, national publications, and films like Fist Fight (Warner Bros) and most recently Jordan Peele’s LoveCraft Country (HBO). He is a former Simbastandby actor for the Tony Award winning and critically acclaimed Disney’s The Lion King North American Broadway Tour. Jalen is also a latin/rnb crossover recording artist with records produced by Grammy Award winning producer/engineer Mack Woodward (Beyonce). Jalen is thankful and considers himself blessed to portray the Icon Eddie Kendricks. “Thanks to God, my family, WLP, and my incredible management”. @jalenuniversal

HARRELL HOLMES JR. (Melvin Franklin). A native of Saginaw, MI. This triple threat is a graduate of AMDA. Making his tour debut, Harrell is a true throwback to the days of charismatic live bands and legendary soul artistry. His credits include “Star Search”, “American Idol”, and The Watching (film). He is a Motown Scholarship & Stevie Wonder Scholarship Winner. “Ever since I was 8 years old, I’ve wanted to be a Temptation, to now have that opportunity to bring their story to life is a dream come true.”

MARCUS PAUL JAMES (Otis Williams) has been seen in Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, MOTOWN: The Musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning In The Heights, Jonathan Larson’s Tony award-winning RENT. TV/Film credits include Collateral Beauty, “RENT : Filmed Live,” “The WIZ LIVE,” Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning The Greatest Showman, tick tick… Boom Netflix, Dear Evan Hansen, In The Heights. As a recording artist, his albums are available on iTunes, CDBaby, and all streaming platforms. For more info visit www.marcuspauljames.com

JAMES T. LANE (Paul Williams). West End: The Scottsboro Boys, A Chorus Line (Palladium, revival). Broadway: Kiss Me, Kate (Paul), King Kong, The Scottsboro Boys (Ozie Powell/Ruby Bates), Chicago and A Chorus Line (Richie). National tours: Jersey Boys, Cinderella, Fame. Regional: Mary Poppins (Bert) Drury Lane Chicago, The Wiz (Tin Man), Chicago (Billy Flynn) Muny, James Conceived. Wrote and performed his one man show Triple Threat: A Play That Moves and Sings. Streaming information, booking, as well as performance dates available at www.jamestlane.com. Mr. Lane teaches music, theatre, and dance when and wherever anyone will let him! IG: @jamestlane.

ELIJAH AHMAD LEWIS (David Ruffin). Multi-award-winning singer, actor, songwriter and arranger. Broadway: Motown, Tony Award®-winning Ain’t Too Proud. Tours: Motown (First and Second National), Mama, I Want To Sing (Japan). TV/Film: “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” B-Boy Blues, Mama, I Want to Sing!, America (starring Rosie O’Donnell), The Grammys. Music: SZA, Chance the Rapper, Ariana Grande, James “JT” Taylor, Cissy Houston, Madonna. Thanks to family & my team. To my mentor/friend Cicely Tyson, this is for you! IG: @elijah.ahmad.lewis. elijahahmadlewis.com.

QUICK FACTS

GET READY, here comes Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations. The Tony Award-
winning musical that created the soundtrack for a generation is coming to Minneapolis for two weeks as

part of the 2021-2022 Bank of America Broadway on Hennepin season June 28 to July 10 at the historic
Orpheum Theatre.

AIN’T TOO PROUD is the electrifying new musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey
from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by the same creative team behind Jersey Boys,
Des McAnuff and Sergio Trujillo.

The show features some of The Temptations’ greatest hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get
Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” telling the thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and
betrayal, as the group’s personal and political conflicts threatened to tear them apart during America’s
decade of civil unrest.

AIN’T TOO PROUD was the 2019 Tony Award winner for Best Choreography, under Sergio Trujillo’s
choreography, as well as nominated for 12 Tony Awards.

With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating
an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one and being voted the greatest R&B group of all
time by Billboard Magazine in 2017

The book was written by Dominque Morisseau, who is a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant, the
Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, and two Obie Awards.

The musical is based on the book entitled, The Temptations, by Otis Williams, the founder and last
remaining member of the original Temptations. Otis Williams is still performing around the country.

The New York Times call AIN’T TOO PROUD “PRETTY CLOSE TO PERFECTION! As you watch the show
you will no doubt find your legs twitching, as if from muscle memory. That’s the urge being translated with
such sublime grace by those five natty men on the stage, platonic ideals of stepping high and looking fine.”
The Temptations and their music have a long and rich history that is integrated with many key points in
American history, including the Civil Rights Movement.

While AIN’T TOO PROUD is a feel-good musical that resonates with people of all ages, it reminds us how
their music touched so many lives while reminding us that their messages are still relevant today.
After breaking house records at Berkeley Rep, The Kennedy Center, CTG’s Ahmanson Theatre, and
Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre, AIN’T TOO PROUD opened on Broadway in March 2019, where it
continues to play to sold-out audiences and breaking the Imperial Theatre’s box office record.

Click the link above to buy tickets.

All info from Hennepin theater Trust.