Photo Flash: MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Celebrates Opening Night at the National Theatre

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy, and Broadway at the National present the Washington premiere of Motown the Musical, playing the National Theatre now through January 3, 2016. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities, featuring Berry Gordy himself, below!

Josh Tower and Allison Semmes star in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross. Portraying groundbreaking Motown artists, Jesse Nager will play Smokey Robinson and Jarran Muse will play Marvin Gaye. Nathaniel Cullors and Leon Outlaw, Jr. will portray Berry Gordy's boyhood counterpart and the roles of young stars Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL also features Nik Alexander, Erick Buckley, Chante Carmel, Stephen Cerf, Chadaé, Ashley Tamar Davis, Lynorris Evans, Anissa Felix, Talya Groves, Rod Harrelson, Robert Hartwell, Dana Marie Ingraham, Rodney Earl Jackson, Jr., Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Jarvis B. Manning, Jr., Krisha Marcano, Moeisha McGill, Marq Moss, Rashad Naylor, Ramone Owens, Olivia Puckett, Nicholas Ryan, Jamison Scott, Joey Stone, Doug Storm, Martina Sykes, Nik Walker, and Galen J. Williams.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, resident playwright at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Motown the Musical is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy's journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and so many more. Featuring more than 40 classic hits such as "My Girl" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Motown the Musical tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry, and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives, and made us all move to the same beat.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL features choreography by Patricia Wilcox (A Night with Janis Joplin) and Warren Adams (Toy Story), scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award® nominee ESosa (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, "Project Runway"), 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), projection design by Daniel Brodie (Jekyll and Hyde), hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe (Memphis), and casting by Telsey + Company.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL's arrangements and orchestrations are by Grammy and Tony Award nominee Ethan Popp (Rock of Ages), who also serves as music supervisor in reproducing the classic "Sound of Young America," with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award nominee Bryan Crook ("Smash"), and dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is produced by Tony Award winning producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, In the Heights, Avenue Q), Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Entertainment Doug Morris, and Motown founder Berry Gordy.

For more information, visit TheNationalDC.com or MotownTheMusical.com.

Photo Credit: Cameron Whitman Photography