Jesse Nager News

Broadway Pops International (BPI) presents I HEAR A SYMPHONY, Motown's Greatest Hits with the Sun Valley Opera & Resort in Idaho.

Broadway Pops International (BPI) presents I HEAR A SYMPHONY, Motown's Greatest Hits with the Sun Valley Opera & Resort in Idaho.

For nearly three vigorous hours, MOTOWN - THE MUSICAL provides one helluva show. More like a CONCERT rather than your typical book musical, this dazzling, high-octane extravaganza of music and dance is a visual and aural feast that gamely crams in more than 60 hits from the groundbreaking record company's discography. The story---penned by Motown founder Berry Gordy himself---may be its lone weak spot, but there's no denying how fun it is to see and hear this impressive cast of quintuple-threats recreate these greatest hits live on stage. The rousingly entertaining, exuberantly-performed stage spectacular continues at Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts through June 28.

Broadway Pops International (BPI) presents I HEAR A SYMPHONY, Motown's Greatest Hits with the Sun Valley Opera and Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley Idaho.

After several sold out performances at New York City's Canal Room, Daniel J. Watts (After Midnight, Memphis) is finally bringing his spoken word based contemporary revue-style show to North Hollywood's Federal Bar on Monday, June 1st. Watts commented, 'I'm excited to finally let LA know what they've been missing.' The project is co-produced by WattsWords Productions and 515 Incorporated, the production company of Vivian Nixon (Smash, Women on the Verge). The Jam: Spoken Word Preserves is an innovative spoken word concert led by Daniel J. Watts.

Motown the Musical, currently playing at the Buell Theatre, provides a bit of a history lesson for the record label, but mostly it feels like a really impressive tribute concert.

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy present the First National Tour of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, which plays The Buell Theatre tonight, March 31-April 19 only. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the production below!

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy, and Omaha Performing Arts are proud to announce MOTOWN THE MUSICAL tickets are available through Ticket Omaha.* The tickets, starting at $30 each, are available by going online at TicketOmaha.com; by phone at 402.345.0606; or by going to the Ticket Omaha box office inside the Holland Performing Arts Center. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will play at the Orpheum Theater Today, March 25 through Sunday, March 29. Groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets by calling 402.661.8516 or toll-free at 866.434.8587. The show is part of Omaha Performing Arts' Broadway Series.

How do you cram 50 hit songs, over 90 characters, and 25 years of history from one of music's most important companies into a dramatically satisfying, two hour and 45 minute musical? The answer is, you don't; but based on the enthusiastic response to MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, playing at Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts through March 15th, that really doesn't matter. What does matter is that the music of Motown (the record company and the musical) is here to make people happy. That mantra is repeated multiple times during the show's most difficult situations by its central figure, Berry Gordy. According to the musical, Motown's founder created the most successful independent record label of all-time on little more than determination and a desire to spread joy. As anyone familiar with Motown's mile-long string of hits, or the stage show that they inspired, can attest to, Gordy, Hitsville U.S.A., and MOTOWN THE MUSICAL more than delivered on creating joy for countless generations of music fans.

Performances for MOTOWN THE MUSICAL begin tonight, February 24 for a limited two week run through Sunday, March 8, 2015. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is part of the 2014-2015 Broadway in Fort Lauderdale Series presented by Broadway Across America and Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with The Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in action!

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy present the First National Tour of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, which plays The Buell Theatre March 31-April 19 only. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the production below!

Based on Berry Gordy's 1994 autobiography To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown, this musical tells the true story behind Mr. Gordy's founding and running of the Motown record label, and his personal and professional relationships with Motown artists such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson. The music and lyrics for the musical are taken from selections from the Motown catalog.

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy, and Omaha Performing Arts are proud to announce MOTOWN THE MUSICAL tickets are available through Ticket Omaha.* The tickets, starting at $30 each, are available by going online at TicketOmaha.com; by phone at 402.345.0606; or by going to the Ticket Omaha box office inside the Holland Performing Arts Center. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will play at the Orpheum Theater Wednesday, March 25 through Sunday, March 29. Groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets by calling 402.661.8516 or toll-free at 866.434.8587. The show is part of Omaha Performing Arts' Broadway Series.

MOTOWN, Berry Gordy's self-aggrandizing tribute to the independent record label that fused gospel, blues, jazz, doo wop and country into a unique and wildly popular Detroit sound, is currently heating things up at the Boston Opera House through February 15.

Performances for MOTOWN THE MUSICAL begin Tuesday, February 24 for a limited two week run through Sunday, March 8, 2015. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is part of the 2014-2015 Broadway in Fort Lauderdale Series presented by Broadway Across America and Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with The Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in action!

When brainstorming concepts for new shows, the idea of making a musical about Berry Gordy--not necessarily a household name, may have seemed like an odd choice. So let's look at Plan B....a musical about the careers of Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye. Well, essentially the two are all the same musical. The slick production of MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL that opened on Tuesday night at Shea's tells the story of producer Berry Gordy and his start up record label, 'Motown.'

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, January 18, 2015 - Sunday, January 18, 2015.

The touring production of MOTOWN the Musical sent a special 'Happy Trails' to the Broadway Production of MOTOWN, closing today, Sunday Jan. 18. With direction and arrangement by Jesse Nager (Smokey Robinson) the video features Julius Thomas III (Berry Gordy), Allison Semmes (Diana Ross), Jarran Muse (Marvin Gaye), Krisha Mercano (Suzanne De Passe), and Rod Harrelson (dance captain), all of whom joined the tour from the Broadway company. The video also has appearances from the entire company currently in Philadelphia. Check it out below!

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy have announced that MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL original Broadway cast member Jesse Nager has joined the First National Tour in the leading role of Smokey Robinson.

While in Minneapolis, MN company members from Motown the Musical, under the direction of cast member Christian Dante White, worked with celebrity photographer Brent Dundore to capture the essence of the Motown artists they portray every night onstage in a high fashion shoot. Scroll down for photos!