Berry Gordy‘s Motown: The Musical, the Broadway show that traces the music mogul’s life and celebrates the artists who recorded for his renowned label, gets its official opening on today at New York City’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. As you’d expect, the musical is packed with classic songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, The Temptationsand more.
Beyond the great music, Gordy says he hopes the play sets the record straight with regard to some of the negative rumors about the way he ran Motown and his treatment of the artists.
“It’s wonderful for me to write for the fans the truth,” he tells ABC News Radio, “’cause I appreciate so much the people around the world who love Motown and believe in Motown and lived Motown.” Gordy adds that he hopes the play shows “that a black kid could do a Motown without being a crook or in the mafia or this or that — which is what I was painted as for many years.”
Berry says that one of the things he’s enjoying most about the production is watching the talented cast of actors who play him and the various Motown stars. “I have this opportunity to work with this incredible cast of people who, in many cases, know more about me and Motown than I remember,” he explains.
Gordy says he’s particularly impressed by the by the three actors who are portraying him at various stages in his life. “It’s fascinating,” he notes, “’cause the people that are doing me are doing me better than me.”
Meanwhile, Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays the adult Gordy, says Berry has been very supportive of him throughout the process of developing his character.
“We gained a level of trust pretty early on,” he reveals. “He trusts me as an actor, and he also trusts my intelligence, as far as how I look at the show as a whole.”
Dixon adds, “It’s funny, the more we get into to it the more like him I become. Because that’s exactly how he is: Berry’s always looking at the whole picture.”
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Source: magic1017 / MJ-Upbeat.com
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