Review: MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL Brings the Music to PPAC In All the Best Ways

Any music fan trying to own a copy of every record ever put out by a Motown artists would end up with a very large collection. Or, in this day and age, a very full iPod. Even trying to have copies of just the biggest hits of Motown would lead one to amass a lengthy playlist. There's no denying that Motown Records changed the world of music forever, leaving an impact on not only fans of the music, but also our culture and society at large. And like filling that aforementioned iPod, trying to fill a musical with all of those huge hits is also a tall order, one that Motown: The Musical, now playing at Providence Performing Arts Center, accomplishes with a high level of success.

The musical isn't without its faults, which we'll get to in a moment. In terms of a story, it's simple and straightforward. We see the life of Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, starting when he's a little boy, dreaming big dreams about his future. Young Berry grows up and eventually, with some help from his family, creates the record label that would become Motown. Over time, he develops start after star, from Smokey Robinson to Diana Ross to the Jackson 5. As he does so, the musical tracks his personal ups and downs, including his rocky relationship with Diana Ross. It also documents the historical events that had an impact on the music, and vice versa, such as John F. Kennedy's assassination, segregation in the south, and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Berry Gordy wrote the book for the musical, which is largely based on his memoir, To Be Loved: The Music, The Magic, The Memories of Motown. And make no mistake, Gordy is the center and the heart of this production. That may be for better or for worse, depending on your viewpoint. For those wanting an in-depth examination of Gordy's journey, where he came from, where he ended up, and how he got there, this musical will bring you that. If you're looking instead for insight into some of your favorite singers and songwriters, such as Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson, you'll be sorely disappointed.

As mentioned, it's a challenge fitting all of these mega-stars and their mega-hits into one musical. In the end, most of them are only touched upon briefly, breezing by while singing a few lines from their hit songs. Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye are given the most stage time and even they get little actual development, we never really get to know the people they really were offstage. Other stars like Rick James, The Temptations, The Commodores, The Four Tops, and Gladys Knight and the Pips have "blink and you'll miss them" appearances. While it's great to have these fantastic musical moments play out on stage life, it just leaves the audience wishing there was more.

In terms of the story and plot, it's again a hit or miss proposition. There are lots of interesting insights into Gordy's life and his relationship with his family, friends and the big stars he worked with. There are also some fascinating tidbits about a few other characters, especially Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross. Here again, though, storylines appear and disappear quickly, with little or no resolution. We hear about Gordy's legal troubles but never really find out how all of that ended up or worked out. We get a glimpse of Marvin Gaye's personal troubles and his own dreams, but don't get to see where or what that really led him to. On the other hand, the tidbits of world history are worked into the production wonderfully, so that it never feels like a heavy-handed history lesson. Rather, it's a perfectly executed demonstration of how the events happening around them shaped and changed these singers and songwriters, and how their songs shaped our reaction to those events.

In truth, most of the audience isn't going to this show for the backstory and the history of these people. They are there for the music and they will not be disappointed. The list of songs, almost entirely from the Motown Catalog, is a long one. And every one of them is recognizable and familiar, from "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" to "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" to "You're Really Got a Hold On Me." They are the songs of a generation and songs that have stood the test of time, still as popular today as they were when they first found their way onto the radio. There's no doubt that the audience loves all of them, as evidenced by all the toe-tapping, clapping, swaying and dancing in seats that went on during the first night's performance at PPAC.

Going a long way towards making the show's music such a success is the spectacular cast. Josh Tower leads the way with a wonderful performance as Berry Gordy. Tower is an extremely charismatic actor with stage presence to spare. He nimbly carries the show on this shoulders and creates a portrait of Gordy that makes it easy to see why people followed and believed in him.

Gordy's partner in music and in love, at least for a while, was Diana Ross, here played by Allison Semmes. The lovely Semmes is a powerhouse, with a personality almost as big as her booming voice. When she gets an opportunity for a solo number that includes some audience interaction (during a scene supposedly taking place at her Las Vegas show), Semmes is hilarious and endearing, absolutely winning over the audience, who were probably already in love with her. She never misses a beat in her performance, musically or otherwise, bringing Diana Ross and her songs to this production with perfection.

While Tower and Semmes are both fantastic, the real star of this production is Jesse Nager as Smokey Robinson. Nager's charisma, charm and scene-stealing ability are second to none. He is a pleasure to watch in this role and hearing him sing is no less a pleasure. He nails the unmistakable sounds of Smokey Robinson, although he doesn't get to sing as Robinson as often as we might like. Speaking of nailing the sounds of a famous singer, Jarran Muse absolutely does that as Marvin Gaye. It's again unfortunate that Muse doesn't get more opportunity to demonstrate his vocal prowess, but when he does, he knocks it out of the park, getting a resoundingly positive reaction from the audience. Muse also does a great job with the more emotional and personal aspects of Gaye, which are highlighted just enough to make the audience want more.

There's a large ensemble cast involved as well, all of whom play multiple roles. They are all incredible singers and dancers who often, if not always, leave the audience wanting to see more of them. When they are called upon to take on the persona of a well-known singer or celebrity, they do so with fantastic success. And when they are asked to recreate a beloved song on stage, they do so every time without missing a beat or hitting an off note.

That's really the most important aspect of this show, that the music is presented so perfectly. The audience can forgive the shortcomings in story or plot of character development because it's so much fun watching these songs performed live and performed so well. The show is a rollicking, breezy, entertaining ride through those songs and will have you reliving all of the memories that go along with them. Or have your rushing to get them on your iPod so you can start making new memories with these songs as the soundtrack.

Motown: The Musical runs through November 8th at Providence Performing Arts Center, located at 220 Weybosset Street in Providence. Tickets start at $39 and can be purchsed by visiting the box office, open 10am to 3pm Monday through Thursday and two hours prior to all curtain times. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the box office at 401-421-ARTS (2787) or by visiting the PPAC website at www.ppacri.org. Performances are 7pm on the 4th, 7:30pm on the 5th and 6th, 2pm and 8pm on the 7th, and at 1pm and 6:30pm on the 8th.

Pictured: Patrice Covington as Martha Reeves (center) & the cast of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL First National Tour. © Joan Marcus, 2014.

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