Motown: The Musical

There are several interesting stories struggling to get out in this musical. That of the founder, the artists and the music itself. All would make for a good show in their own right but they don’t necessarily mix very well and here there can only be one winner, and that is the music.

The musical opens with Berry Gordy (a bullish performance by Cedric Neal) deciding whether to attend the 25th anniversary of Motown in 1983. There’s mixed emotions; many of the artists and writers there had left him over the years, and there’s some bitterness. From there we go back to Gordy’s childhood, through his encounter with Jackie Wilson and the foundation of the label.

And this is a period that covers some the cornerstones of America’s recent history the civil rights movement, the assassinations of the Kennedys and Dr Martin Luther King, and Vietnam. This is mostly done through projections though there’s some powerful performance play during the riots that followed the murder of Dr King. There are the money pressures too with performers and writers, nurtured and made famous by Motown pinched by the big labels with the financial firepower to offer lucrative contracts.

But it’s not just money as a spikey exchange with Marvin Gaye (played by Jordan Shaw) shows. He wants artistic freedom and Gordy is sympathetic but he’s a businessman and politics complicates things. You get the impression that while he thought Gaye was right, his request didn’t fit the business model.

With the loss of major artists Motown is forced to seek new talent and go in new directions – as the short Rick James section graphically demonstrates – and it does successfully, though only up to a point. Eventually the financial realities hit hard, decisions are made and we are back to the 25th anniversary.

But take out the intrigue, the loves and the money and you have what this is really all about: the music. Which of course is sensational deftly blending the numbers and the actors, it runs all the way through the musical either in the background, short sharp extracts and occasionally full renditions there are over 50 to fit them in. Highlight is the Jackson 5 medley which brings the house down tonight and later on at the audience are up and dancing.

It’s a briskly paced production, slick, colourful, tightly choreographed with the main cast and ensemble convincing in their roles. There are some niggles about the story’s details, but at the end of the day this is Motown – The Musical and that should tell you all you need to know.

Photo by Alastair Muir