The show is based on the biography of Berry Gordy, the founder of Detroit’s Motown Records. The performances of the artists on his label are recreated; and these include acts by Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and the Temptations.
The major weakness is the book; but I doubt very much if this will bother audiences who will be coming for the music and the nostalgia. Charles Randolph-Wright’s production is slick and lively. The costumes, the wigs and the movement for the lead singers always look right. There are strong and likeable performances from Cedric Neal as Berry Gordy, Lucy St Louis as Diana Ross and Charl Brown as Smokey Robinson. There are 50 great songs.