Hail to the Beat! Cedric Neal, Lucy St. Louis & More Set for Motown the Musical in the West End

All you need to get by! Broadway alum Cedric Neal (After Midnight) and Lucy St. Louis (Beautiful) will lead the cast in the West End's Motown the Musical as Berry Gordy and Diana Ross, respectively. The previously announced production will begin previews on February 11, 2016 and officially open on March 8 at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

The cast will also include Keisha Amponsa Banson as Mary Wells, Cherelle Williams as Mary Wilson, Cleopatra Rey as Gladys Knight, Cindy Belliot as Anna Gordy, Aisha Jawondo as Martha Reeves, Samuel Edwards as Jackie Wilson, Brandon Lee Sears as Tito Jackson, Joshua Liburd as Eddie Kendricks and Simeon Montague as Jermaine Jackson. 

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright and featuring a book by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Motown The Musical's score includes over 50 beloved hits from the Motown catalogue. The show tells the story of Gordy’s rise from small-town dreamer to big-time record mogul. Along the way, he discovers a slew of musical talent including Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and the legendary Diana Ross, with whom he sparks a romance.

Rounding out the cast will be Daniel Bailey, Edward Baruwa, Tanya Nicola Edwards, Eddie Elliot, Portia Harry and Simon Ray Harvey.  Final full casting will be announced shortly.

Motown will feature choreography by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams, scenic design by David Korins, costumes by Esosa, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Peter Hylenski and projections by Daniel Brodie.

The Broadway production played its final performance on January 18 at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre to make way for Finding Neverland. Motown intends to return to the Great White Way in summer 2016 at a Nederlander theater to be announced.