December 28, 2023
Emilio Madrid/Bryan Buttler Media Relations
'Ain't Too Proud,' an award-winning Broadway musical about The Temptations, will run in Philadelphia from Wednesday, Jan. 3 through Sunday, Jan. 21.
Philadelphia kicks off its 2024 Broadway season next week with a three-week run of "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations."
"Ain't Too Proud" makes its Philly debut at the Academy of Music on Wednesday, Jan. 3, and will run through Sunday, Jan. 21. The musical follows the decades-long journey of legendary vocal group The Temptations, which achieved 42 top 10 hits, from the quintet's formation in Detroit in the early '60s all the way to their induction into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Tickets, which start at $22, are available now online.
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The show first opened on Broadway in 2019 and was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning for best choreography. The choreographer behind the acclaimed dance numbers is Sergio Trujillo, who previously worked on "Jersey Boys." "Ain't Too Proud" is directed by two-time Tony-winner Des McAnuff, who also worked on "Jersey Boys."
🎶 I know you wanna leave me
— Kimmel Cultural Campus (@KimmelCC) December 26, 2023
But I refuse to let you go I
f I have to beg and plead for your sympathy
I don't mind, 'cause you mean that much to me 🎶 @AintTooProud arrives January 3 -21 ➡️ https://t.co/N3unMdOMxs pic.twitter.com/n9PGi7QkNb
Along with recreating the smooth dance moves of The Temptations, the musical includes some of the group's biggest hits — like "My Girl," "Get Ready" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." It also depicts the band's meteoric rise, as well as betrayals and hardships brought on by personal and political conflicts during a period of civil unrest in the U.S.
Despite getting their start in Detroit, The Temptations' story does have some Philly flair. Songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff — the cofounders of Philadelphia International Records known for their "Philly sound" — composed one of The Temptations' hit songs, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," which they performed with The Supremes.
"Philadelphia has always been a Temptations town," Otis Williams, a founder and the last surviving original member of The Temptations, told 6ABC. "We were in Philly so often, it became like a second home for The Temps."
Fans in Philly already received a little preview of what to expect when the musical comes to town. Cast member Elijah Ahmad Lewis sang "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" during Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day Parade last month. Watch his performance below:
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