Ain't Too Proud Announces Its Temptations for Broadway Run

Full casting has been announced for the Broadway run of Ain't Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations at the Imperial Theatre.

Heading the company as the Temptations are Derrick Baskin as Otis Williams, James Harkness as Paul Williams, Jawan M. Jackson as Melvin Franklin, Jeremy Pope as Eddie Kendricks, and Ephraim Sykes as David Ruffin. The ensemble will be made up of Esther Antoine, Saint Aubyn, Shawn Bowers, E. Clayton Cornelious, Rodney Earl Jackson Jr., Taylor Symone Jackson, Jahi Kearse, Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Joshua Morgan, Rashidra Scott, Nasia Thomas, Christian Thompson, Curtis Wiley, and Candice Marie Woods.

Directed by Tony winner Des McAnuff, the musical features a book by Dominique Morisseau, choreography by Sergio Trujillo, and a score culled from Motown hits like "My Girl," "Just My Imagination," and more.

The creative team also includes Tony nominee Robert Brill (scenic design), Tony winner Paul Tazewell (costume design), Tony winner Howell Binkley (lighting design), Tony winner Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Peter Nigrini (projection design), Charles G. LaPointe (hair and wig design), Edgar Godineaux (associate choreographer), and Steve Rankin (fight direction). Orchestrations are by Harold Wheeler with music direction and arrangements by Kenny Seymour.

The show is described as follows: "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. The rest is history — how they met, how they rose, 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."

Ain't Too Proud had its world premiere at Berkeley Rep, where it broke box office records. It has also played the Kennedy Center, the Ahmanson Theatre, and the Princess of Wales Theatre on a pre-Broadway tour.

The Broadway production of Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations will begin performances at the Imperial on Thursday, February 28, with opening night set for Thursday, March 21.