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Motown the Musical

Motown the Musical

On tour

With just $800 borrowed from his family Berry Gordy founded Motown Records and launched the careers of legendary artists including Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations, and many more. Read more …

This is the next chapter in Motown’s incredible history and is an experience you’ll never forget. Featuring over 50 classic hits including My GirlWhat's Going OnDancing in the StreetI Heard It Through The Grapevine and Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Motown the Musical tells the thrilling tale of the man who broke barriers, fought against the odds to create something more than a record label. Discover the story behind Motown, the personal relationships, the professional struggles, and - of course - the music that made history, defined the sound of a generation and got the whole world moving to the same beat.


The critical consensus

In the end, Motown the Musicalis a lost opportunity. It isn’t bad—how can it be with performances from this brilliant canon of songs—but it lacks purpose or any sense of immediacy.

***(*)(*)Michael Cox, Across the Arts

Although I would have liked to have heard more of the story and perhaps fewer songs, that might have impacted on the feel-good aspect of the musical.

***(*)(*)Natalie O'Donoghue, Broadway World, 22/11/2018

A guaranteed evening of fun for young and old, full of tip top tunes and a zestful energy you can't help but soak up.

****(*)Lindsay Corr, Edinburgh Guide, 22/11/2018

There seems to be nothing but bad news in the world these days but if you’re looking for a feel-good factor to escape the woes then the sheer energy, spirit and passion that is Motown the Musical is for you.

*****Mike Smith, The Edinburgh Reporter, 22/11/2018

By relying so heavily on songs and singers – regardless of how good they both are – Motown the Musical is only half the show it could be.

***(*)(*)Kelly Apter, The List, 22/11/2018

What’s frustrating is that Motown should be incredible, it should be a real crowd-pleaser. It knows the songs we want to hear, the stories to share, the cast to deliver this and frame them well. It tries though, to smash these all together, and in its endeavours to please, it ultimately disappoints.

**(*)(*)(*)Dominic Corr, The Reviews Hub, 22/11/2018

Has a strangely conceived storyline, but is carried along on a wave of wonderful music.

****(*)Hugh Simpson, All Edinburgh Theatre, 22/11/2018

eppered throughout with a conveyor belt of slickly choreographed routines to some of Motown’s greatest hits, this makes for a beautifully realised construction that manages to be a crowd-pleaser while getting to the nitty-gritty that drove the songs.

****(*)Neil Cooper, Coffee-Table Notes, 23/11/2018

Motown Records’ legions of fans will certainly not feel short-changed, even if the show itself is lacking in soul.

***(*)(*)Allan Radcliffe, 23/11/2018

If ever a music label mattered, it was Tamla Motown, in its first two decades; and for all its ups and downs, this show pays an unforgettable, emotional tribute to it.

****(*)Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman, 24/11/2018


Features about Motown the Musical

Chalres Randolph-Wright--Motown the Musical

Neil Cooper, Coffee-Table Notes, 20/11/2018

Where and when?

Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh from Tuesday November 20, 2018, until Saturday December 8, 2018. More info: www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk

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