my Ain’t too proud review
Two weeks ago, I saw Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations on its opening night of previews. As soon as the lights came on, signalling the first act had concluded, I turned to my best friend and said “I love it so much. I need to see it again.” The show hadn’t even ended yet, and I was already thinking of the next time I would watch it.
I’ll be honest, I did have high expectations for the show. Sometimes, it might not be the best idea going into something with such high expectations, in the event it disappoints. Even though I, admittedly, am only familiar with a handful of songs by the Temptations, something led me to expect the show to be that good. I left feeling like I got more than I had bargained for and it definitely exceeded my expectations.
Unless you hadn’t picked up on it, the show is about the music group the Temptations-- both about them as a group as well as their individual lives. It is narrated from the point of view of Otis Williams — played by Derrick Baskin — who happens to be the only original Temptations member who is still alive. It goes through the story of how the group formed, its ups and downs, and how they grew to be one of the most famous and influential groups in music.
The choreography was fantastic, which is to be expected with a choreographer like Sergio Trujillo. Trujillo has choreographed for many shows, some including A Bronx Tale and Get On Your Feet! I saw both of these shows during their run and the choreography was phenomenal in both. As for the choreography for Ain’t Too Proud, it showcased the talents of the performers while also staying true to the style of the Temptations. It undoubtedly was one of my favorite things about the show, but I’m always a sucker for good choreography (shout out to Hamilton for having some of the best choreography out there… but that’s a digression for another time).
The music/singing was also beyond incredible; this was probably one of the parts that shocked me the most (not that I expected it to be bad or anything, just to clarify). Ephraim Sykes, who plays David Ruffin, was one of the best singers in the show (if not the best). His performance in this show is definitely something that stood out to me. Jeremy Pope, playing Eddie Kendricks, is also a talent that certainly cannot go unnoticed. He was also one of my favorite parts of the show; his voice is beyond incredible and I am sure that he’s going to become a big name.
The show features an all-black cast and they are all fantastic. The rest of the Temptations, played by James Harkness and Jawan Jackson, are also incredible. Overall, Ain’t Too Proud was so much more than I could have asked for in a show and being among the first group of people to watch the show on its Broadway run just added an extra element of excitement. I would recommend this show to everyone; if you’re in NYC anytime soon, go watch Ain’t Too Proud!
