Soulful ST RY
MUSICAL TRACKS PRODUCER BERRY GORDY AND THE RISE OF THE MOTOWN SOUND
The Supremes. Marvin Gaye. The Jackson 5. Smokey Robins Wonder. The Temptations
These are just a few of the legends that make up the Motown sound.
Each holds a great place in musical and cultural history.
At the helm is Berry Gordy who found a way to cross the African-American artist in to the mainstream.
The Broadway musical "Mowtown The Musical” tells Gordy's Journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of so many legends.
It premiered on Broadway in 2013 and finished its run in January 2015 after 738 regular performances and 37 previews. It also received four Tony Award nominations
The national tour began in April 2014 and has since made its way around the country.
The musical is directed by Charles Randolph-Wright and produced by Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Gordy.
It features more than 40 classic songs, including “My Girl," “What’s Going On,” “Dancing in the Street,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Helping get the musica l off the ground is Schele Williams an associate director for the production.
Williams, who has an extensive career working on Broadway, “Motown: The Musical” i says is one of the most fun shows to work on.
“There’s a duality happpening the whole time you are watching,” Williams says. “These are songs that are a part of the American culture. Some of these songs, I remember my mom and dad dancing in the kitchen to them. They were always a part of our lives our lives.”
And with Gordy involved in the production, Williams says, every aspect got his stamp of approval.
“Berry’s whole mantra is ‘It’s gotta be the truth,’” she says. “That’s what made his company so successful. He was always trying to get the truth out of them. Everything feels authentic when you hear anything from Motown. That’s why it’s such an important story. This AfricanAmerican man had a big dream, and it became even bigger.”
Williams says there could easily be more volumes of Gordy’s story and that the musical tries to tell the stories of many of the artists.
One of those artists to break out and become a bona fide superstar is Diana Ross. With The Supremes, she was introduced to the world.
Then she left the band and began a highly successful solo career.
Allison Semmes takes on the role of Ross in the touring musical, and the role is a dream come true.
“I started as a replacement for the original Broadway run, and I was Florence Ballard,” Semmes says. “Of course, the goal and the dream was to be Diana Ross. And I learned so much from playing the other characters and playing the different perspective. When I got cast for the role, it felt like the next step.”
Semmes says stepping into the role was a rewarding and big challenge.
“It’s an honor to tell her story,” she says. “In the musical, we get to see Diana Ross from when she was the 15-year-old girl from Detroit until her successful solo career.”
Both Williams and Semmes agree that the musical comes at a perfect time for the country.
“We are so divided,” Williams says. “This story tells the struggle that Berry Gordy had in getting heard. And when he was able to achieve his goal, it was the music that brought people together. We need to come together again. This is why the music is classic.”