Temptations Musical Ain't Too Proud Makes Broadway Premiere; Cast Album Announced

Get ready! The new Broadway musical Ain't Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations kicks off preview performances at the Imperial Theatre on February 28. The production will officially open on March 21.

The show's producers have also announced an original cast recording of the musical, to be released by UMe this spring. The CD will be sold at the Imperial beginning on March 21 with a digital album available on March 22. The CD will be available in wide release on April 19, with a double-LP vinyl version to be sold beginning on June 7.

Ain't Too Proud follows The Temptations' journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. Through friendship and betrayal amid the civil unrest that tore America apart, their moving and personal story still resonates five decades later.

Leading the company as the Temptations is the five stars of the musical's pre-Broadway engagements in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Toronto: Derrick Baskin as Otis Williams, James Harkness as Paul Williams, Jawan M. Jackson as Melvin Franklin, Ephraim Sykes as David Ruffin and recent Choir Boy star Jeremy Pope as Eddie Kendricks.

The cast also includes Saint Aubyn, Shawn Bowers, E. Clayton Cornelious, Taylor Symone Jackson, Jahi Kearse, Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Joshua Morgan, Rashidra Scott, Nasia Thomas, Christian Thompson, Candice Marie Woods, Esther Antoine, Marcus Paul James, Jelani Remy and Curtis Wiley.

Ain't Too Proud features a book by Dominique Morisseau, direction by two-time Tony winner Des McAnuff and choreography by Olivier winner Sergio Trujillo, with music direction/arrangements by Kenny Seymour and vocal supervision by Liz Caplan. The show features a score made up of The Temptations' legendary songs including "My Girl," "Just My Imagination" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone."

Ain't Too Proud features scenic design by Robert Brill, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy and projection design by Peter Nigrini.