Reviews

The Temptations and The Four Tops on Broadway

Two legendary singing groups take the stage at the Palace Theatre.

The Four Tops play Broadway's Palace Theatre through January 4.
The Four Tops play Broadway's Palace Theatre through January 4.
(© Andrew Benge)

The Temptations & The Four Tops stroll onto the stage of Broadway's Palace Theatre and mark their territory the only way they know how: by singing. The audience goes crazy. Those are two legendary Motown groups up there, complete with original members (Abdul "Duke" Fakir of the Tops and Otis Williams of the Temptations). They deserve applause just for their legacy alone. But the special concert event, which runs through January 4, is a letdown from start to finish.

The music is unimpeachable. Over the course of the nearly three-hour evening (which includes an intermission), some of the greatest songs ever written, tunes like "My Girl," "I Can't Help Myself," "Get Ready," and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," are heard. The orchestra, numbering nearly a dozen players, is as tight as it gets, with mighty brass and rhythm sections that play the tunes in all their glory. So where does it go wrong?

It starts with the sloppiness of the sound design. Poorly mixed and way too loud, the lyrics become so obscured that you eventually tune out, even if you've known the song for your entire life. That the singers use handheld microphones instead of Broadway-style head mics is part of the reason it's so bad; as they sing, they pull the devices away from their faces and the audience really can't hear what's coming out of their mouths. No one seems to have thought of that.

The singers themselves are a bit of a problem, too. The original members of The Four Tops and The Temptations had undeniable star quality. They couldn't have become chart-topping legends of a genre without it. Their replacements (Harold Bonhart, Lawrence Payton Jr., and Ronnie McNeir in the Tops; Bruce Williamson, Joe Herndon, Ronald Tyson, and Terry Weeks in the Temptations) are proficient, harmonizing with the best of them, and trying really hard to deliver the goods. But there's no Levi Stubbs up on that platform, and the late, great baritone is sorely missed. Though they put on a decent show, it's akin to watching a tribute concert at a public park: The music is enjoyable, but it doesn't seem completely like the real deal.

Perhaps the highlight of the evening, which is divided into two 80-minute halves, is a tribute that surviving Top Fakir pays to his fallen comrades. It's a simple rendition of "My Way," a tune the super-group once recorded, which he rechristens "Our Way." It's a simple, honest moment, a short break from the screeching volume, flashing lights, and gaudy costumes. Fakir is a star, through and through. No matter how hard others try, no one else can touch him.

Featured In This Story