MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Begins Tonight at the Orpheum Theatre

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy, and Hennepin Theatre Trust are proud to welcome Motown The Musical, tonight, December 16, through the 28th at Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre (910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis) as part of the 2014-2015 Thrivent Financial Broadway on Hennepin Season.

Tickets may be purchased in person (no service fees) at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis), online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, by calling 1.800.982.2787 or visiting a Ticketmaster Center.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, 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.

Julius Thomas III and Allison Semmes will star in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross. Portraying groundbreaking Motown artists, Nicholas Christopher will play Smokey Robinson and Jarran Muse will play Marvin Gaye. Leon Outlaw, Jr. and Reed L. Shannon will portray Berry Gordy's boyhood counterpart and the roles of young stars Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

Motown The Musical will also feature Erick Buckley, Patrice Covington, Christian Dante White, Jamarice Daughtry, Tamar Davis, Lynorris Evans, Melanie Evans, Devon Goffman, Jennie Harney, Latrisa Harper, Rod Harrelson, Robert Hartwell, Rodney Earl Jackson, Jr., Trisha Jeffrey, Grasan Kingsberry, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Jarvis Manning, Krisha Marcano, Marq Moss, Rashad Naylor, Chadaè Nichol, Ramone Owens, Nicholas Rowe, Jamison Scott, Douglas Storm, Martina Sykes and Galen Williams.

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 about Motown The Musical, visit www.MotownTheMusical.com.

For more information about tickets to the Broadway on Hennepin Season, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org. Tickets for Motown The Musical go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12. All prices include applicable facility fees. Additional service charges may apply. Tickets may be purchased in person (no service fees) at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis), online, by calling 1.800.982.2787 or visiting a Ticketmaster Center. Groups of 10 or more should contact MinneapolisGroups@broadwayacrossamerica or call 612.373.5665 for information and reservations.

Performance dates are tonight, Dec. 16 through Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014 at Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre (910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis). Performance times are: Dec. 16-21: Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 22-28: Monday at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. (no evening performance). There are no performances on Wednesday, Dec. 24 or Thursday, Dec. 25 due to the Christmas holiday.

HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST, owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and New Century Theatres, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to arts-inspired community cultural development. We achieve our mission by presenting a rich mix of live performances, creating inspiring arts education experiences and advancing a thriving Cultural District in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trust's activities include presenting Broadway touring productions and the related Broadway Confidential series, concerts, comedy, speakers and other variety entertainment plus educational initiatives including our SpotLight Musical Theatre Program and Critical Review, Teen Ushers, the Access Program and Family Day on Hennepin.

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