(Review) “Ain’t Too Proud” Musical is “a little bit of funk, a lot of love, and a well of soul”

DURHAM, NC – The national tour of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations debuted in Durham on Tuesday, Dec. 7. It concluded its run at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) on Sunday, Dec. 12.

With Ain’t Too Proud, The Temptations have joined the incessantly expanding ranks of the jukebox musical afterlife, shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Elvis Presley and Donna Summer. Soon enough, they’ll be joined by Jennifer Hudson.

The biographical musical focuses largely on the “Classic Five” members of The Temptations: Melvin Franklin (portrayed by Harrell Holmes Jr.), Eddie Kendricks (Jalen Harris), David Ruffin (Elijah Ahmad Lewis), Otis Williams (Marcus Paul James), and Paul Williams (James L. Lane).

Otis Williams, a plucky Texan baritone, is the show’s dominant character. Some, as I, may bristle at his aw-shucks country boy earnestness. But Otis and the deft Marcus Paul James will win you over in the end. And they’d better – Otis Williams himself is the show’s executive producer and the only original member living.

It is a shame that impressive vocal performances were at times marred by audio hiccups or an overly loud (but talented) band. Brett Michael Lockley (playing Al Bryant) and Najah Hetsberger (Josephine Miles) make the most of relatively minor roles. Hetsberger brought the house down with Act I’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Really, though, exemplary singing all around.

Dominique Morisseau has peppered her book with cutesy wordplay that can be distracting at times (she had a lot of fun with the name “Ruffin”), but this is a minor point. After all, her work garnered a Tony nomination – a first for a Black woman. So, what do I know?

I am still unsure of my feelings regarding the show’s ample usage of digital projections. Unfortunately, some text and images were only partially visible from my perch in Section 4.

Ain’t Too Proud is one of the more choreo-heavy productions I have seen, but the troupe nonetheless flawlessly executed Sergio Trujillo’s Tony-winning vision. The show is really one long dance number, but it didn’t bother me in the slightest.

Ain’t Too Proud seamlessly conveys the negative correlation between the rise of the quintet and the fall of the American socio-political order in the 1960s. These two trend lines intersect at some of the show’s dramatic apices – and they collide with a soulful, funkadelic kaboom.

Ain’t Too Proud is at its core a study in race, gender, class, and the trauma that undergirds it all. The show explores these themes adequately, aside from its awkward handling of David Ruffin’s toxic legacy.

One by one, the Classic Five succumbed to the deathly embrace of fame. The average life expectancy of the four deceased members was just 47 years. Ain’t Too Proud’s tributes to the fallen Temps are delicately staged, and Paul Williams’ sendoff was especially moving. In a single beat, Ain’t Too Proud will wrench out your heart and warm it right up again.

I believe I only glanced at my watch once during the musical’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime, so it goes without saying that Ain’t Too Proud is among the finest productions I have seen at DPAC. Though its Durham run has sadly ended, check out other tour dates and locations here.

In conclusion, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations is a little bit of funk, a lot of love, a well of soul, and indeed – some of the smoothest moves known of five men and a mic. My dear reader, I steadfastly recommend this toe-tapping, hip-twitching extravaganza of rhythm and blues.