We got the lowdown on Motown as we headed to the Regent Theatre for the latest musical to roll into town, Motown the Musical
There’s a vast array of Motown songs and this musical felt like a jukebox as it pumped out hit after hit!
The musical is based on a book by the Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, and Berry is central to the storyline of the show.
The show begins at a 25th Anniversary party Motown for Motown Records, however, Gordy is doing what he can to avoid going!
The show jumps back to the very beginning of record label where Gordy, with the help of family money, sets up the record label that would shape the musical genre of Motown.
Gordy was like the Stock, Aitken and Waterman of his time and all of the big names came through his label. The musical cast was vast and there was something there for everyone to enjoy from The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and so many more! All of the big hitters brought immense success to the label but it was often at a cost as Gordy had to make difficult decisions which weren’t always popular with the artists.
The show cleverly intertwines the Motown music with the hot topics of the era, there are some really poignant pieces in the show which leave you emotional and wondering how people could treat each other so differently.
For our show, Cordell Mosteller was promoted to the lead role and gave a standout performance as Gordy. The fabulous Karis Anderson plays Diana Ross with amazing power and style, we watched her blossom from a young teenager to the renowned superstar singer that Diana became. The entire cast was fabulous but we absolutely fell in love with the young Michael Jackson who played his parts so well and had a fantastic voice!
Staging for the show was spectacular, the staging was minimal but the effects were fantastic and we noted on several occasions on how spectacular and colourful they were, they made the show a stand out performance to enjoy.
If you’re looking to get your funk on then Motown the Musical is a must-see show. Chocked full of memorable and catchy songs it set off a chain reaction of applause from the receptive Staffordshire audience. The audience loved it and all around we could hear people singing the songs that they obviously loved and had come to see this show for.
[box type=”info” align=”alignleft” class=”” width=””]Motown the Musical is on at the Regent Theatre until Saturday 1st June. Contact the box office on 0844 871 7649 for tickets or visit the Regent Website.[/box]
