Freeze Frame: Inside MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL's Launch Event!
By: Walter McBride Sep. 28, 2012
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MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL, based on the life of legendary Motown founder Berry Gordy, will open on Broadway at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46 Street) on April 14, 2013. Preview performances will begin March 11, 2013. Last night, the show held a launch event for the anticipated world premiere at Lunt Fontanne Theatre. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities, and you can check out a preview below! Be sure to check back later for full coverage!
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL will feature a book by Berry Gordy and music and lyrics from the Motown legendary catalogue. MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed America forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy's incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross and The Supremes, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye and many more.
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL tells the gripping story behind the hits as Smokey finds his unique voice, Diana skyrockets to stardom and Berry fights against the odds to turn his improbable dream into a triumphant reality. The music that shattered barriers and shaped our lives finally comes to the Broadway stage in the season's most highly anticipated world-premiere event.
Charles Randolph-Wright recently staged the Pulitzer Prize winning play Ruined and the record breaking musical Sophisticated Ladies at Arena Stage and the 75th anniversary international tour of Porgy and Bess. The acclaimed New York staging of his play Blue has been produced throughout the U.S.
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL’s creative team will also feature scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award® nominee ESosa (The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess, Topdog/Underdog), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (Once, Sister Act), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages, The Scottsboro Boys) and choreography by Patricia Wilcox (Blues in the Night) and Warren Adams (Toy Story). The 18 piece orchestra will be supervised by Ethan Popp (Rock of Ages) who will reproduce the classic “Sound of Young America” for the Broadway stage.
Brandon Victor Dixon and Valisia LeKae
Brandon Victor Dixon, Valisia LeKae and Charles Randolph Wright
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