The magic of Motown is about to take over San Diego.
With its chart-topping hits, sharp choreography and a story that’s as compelling as the music itself, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations is set to bring audiences to their feet when it returns to the San Diego Civic Theatre for a brief run, with five performances from March 28-30.
Receiving a whopping 12 Tony Award nominations when it debuted on Broadway in 2019, this jukebox musical delivers the soul-stirring soundtrack of The Temptations, including such timeless hits as “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and the song that propelled them to superstardom — the Smokey Robinson-penned “My Girl,” which just celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Directed by Des McAnuff (Big River, The Who’s Tommy) and featuring award-winning choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis), Ain’t Too Proud chronicles the legendary group’s rise from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Like any great theatrical journey, the story arc hits many of the quintet’s highs (14 No. 1 hits and four Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award) and lows (band strife and battles with drugs and alcohol).
Actor Rudy Foster portrays band co-founder Otis Williams, whose candid 1988 memoir, Temptations, was the source material for the musical. Speaking with Times of San Diego from the road, Foster said the book provided valuable context, but he didn’t want it to inform his performance too much.
“There’s so much detail in the book that really enriches the relationships between the characters and my own connection to Otis as he exists in our show,” he shared. “I decided pretty early on not to spend too much time with Otis’s book because I wanted to focus on the way the story is drawn in our show.”
Though not the group’s lead singer (through the years, that role was most notably filled by David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards), Williams is regarded as the band’s leader as he played a crucial role in establishing discipline, organizing performances and ensuring the group’s resilience during challenging times.
Born and raised in Chattanooga, Tenn., Foster has been acting professionally for nine years;Ain’t Too Proud is his first national tour. But he already has more than 140 performances as Williams to his credit.
Actor Rudy Foster portrays The Temptations’ co-founder and band leader, Otis Williams. (Courtesy of Broadway San Diego)“It’s been exhilarating,” he said of the experience. “It’s hard work, physically and emotionally,but I’m so grateful to bring this incredible story to the country and to San Diego.”
Following the second national tour’s launch in Chicago last fall, Foster had the opportunity to meet Williams, the last surviving original member of The Temptations, who keeps the band’s legacy alive by still touring today at age 83.
“We didn’t have much time to talk,” Foster said, “but when we met after he saw the show, he gave me a hug and a big ‘Good job, Otis!’”
While celebrating The Temptations’ amazing music — featuring over 30 hits across two and a half hours — Ain’t Too Proud doesn’t ignore the internal discord that came with success. From ego battles to political divides, the musical gives audiences a behind-the-scenes look at how different personalities within the band handled fame.
For Foster, playing a living legend came with enormous accountability.
“There’s a great responsibility to continue the legacy of The Temptations and Motown,” he said. “I think the most important thing here is to tell the story as is and not feel the need to gloss over or sugarcoat things. Otis chooses to stand in his story and share it. I’m just a conduit.”
Ain’t Too Proud tells the incredible true story of how five singers in the 1960s became the greatest R&B group of all time. But, more importantly, it’s about the pursuit of something greater.
“So much of the story of The Temptations and of Motown at large is people reaching for heights of fame and wealth that they didn’t even know existed and actually reaching them,” Foster concluded. “For so many of these absolute icons to grow up in the same neighborhood, often within blocks of each other, is remarkable. The story is the story and what an incredible one it is.”
You can buy tickets to Ain’t Too Proud here. Additional shows in Broadway San Diego’s 47th season include 11-time Tony Award-winner Hamilton (May 6-18), The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise (May 27-June 1) and 10-time Tony Award-winner Moulin Rouge! The Musical (June 24-July 6).
Donovan Roche is a longtime music, arts and entertainment writer and editor based in San Diego. Send story ideas to droche617@gmail.com.
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