Photo: Hal Banfield
Smokey Robinson, originalTemptations member Otis Williams, and longtime Temptations manager Shelly Berger had a chunk of their lives flash before them on Wednesday night.
The three Motown legends reunited to attend a viewing ofAin’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations,the new Broadway-bound musical about the creation of the classic 1960s vocal group.
PEOPLE has the exclusive look at the trio’s visit to the show, which is now playing at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles through Sept. 30.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Otis, 76, was one of the founding members of the group, which formed in Detroit in 1960. He, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and David Ruffin found massive success together at the height of The Temptations fame, their lineup dubbed “the Classic 5” in later years. Otis is the sole survivor of that bunch.
Both, as well as Berger, were all smiles as they posed backstage Wednesday night.
Hal Banfield
In total, The Temptations, with their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, scored 37 top 40 hits and 14 No. 1 R&B singles.
Many of those songs — and tunes like “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me),” “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” and obviously “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” — arefeatured in the new musical, which follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptationsis slated to open on Broadway in Spring 2019 at the legendary Imperial Theatre. Previous out-of-town runs of the musical have taken place at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California and Washington D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. From Oct. 11 through Nov. 17, the musical will play Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.
Two-time Tony winner Des McAnuff is directing, with Kennedy Prize-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau crafting the show’s book.
source: people.com
