Motown’s gold in the West End
THERE’S bound to be dancing in the street at the news that Motown: The Musical is expected to recoup its £5.5 million costs by the end of September.
The show, about how Berry gordy founded Motown, opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in February with a problematic script but a fabulous cast and some of the biggest soul and rhythm and blues hits ever produced.
Songs like Stop in The name Of love, Heard it Through The grapevine and Dancing in The Street, to name a few.
lucy St louis, a star in the making thanks to her portrayal of Diana Ross, has been nominated for the West end Frame theatre site’s Best Performance Of a Song award for her interpretation of Reach Out and Touch; and Samuel edwards, who plays Jackie Wilson (among other roles), has a certain quality that i like.
‘We were a pleasant surprise,’ observed adam Spiegel, the show’s British producer.
‘We didn’t arrive like an enormous juggernaut, and i’m not sure Motown music ever went out of fashion.’
i reckon he’s right because london has taken to the show in a big way. it’s rumoured to be carrying advance ticket sales of more than £8million; and it’s booking through October 2017.
another musical, Dreamgirls, which has a better pedigree, begins performances at the Savoy Theatre in november. The show, which fictionalises the story of the Supremes, is one of the best musicals ever written.
Spiegel believes both can function well together. ‘i don’t think they’re brother and sister; but i think it’s difficult to pretend that they’re not cousins,’ he said.