iTunes Exclusive Episode Motown The Musical

The following is a sooner orgator production. The following is a sooner orgator production. The following is a sooner orgator production.

The following is a sooner orgator production. The following is a sooner orgator production. If you're hearing my voice it means the following qualifications have been met.

It means at least once in your life you've listened to the clubhouse podcast every Sunday, not live, 74 in specific. Your one-stop shop for all-things sports and entertainment. But it also means you listen to it as well as on iTunes and subscribe because it is time for another to exclusive welcome my name is Robin never quite understand Motown Philly because Motown was didn't differ right but that's me thinking again but I'm not alone for this particular episode are 123rd one of these almost to that 125 mark joining me across the desk as he tends to do when we do these things is a man who loves this style of music so much oh just as much as I do that we even have cover albums of some of these songs he is my co-host he is chat well sir yes we do also joining me across the desk is the official fact checker of this show and a man might have been getting his groove on a little bit when we saw what we're about to review but not as much as he did about a year ago no two different Balkans you may know him as fun don't go but his mom and even don't for them to call him don't for the welcome sir you allegedly have those allegedly no I have them okay I have them I have them sealed soul and seal soul too greatness 19 kinds of greatness and these guys play right next to men yeah me tribute to Motown talk about me getting into it might my plus one Jason salt man he really got into it what's it why we're here for this not only when we do one of these is to review something this is no different however we're not reviewing a film today we are reviewing a stage production of a little thing I like to call Motown the musical it is currently in the Dallas Fort Worth area touring around the country you couldn't be much more fresh off a Broadway no less than six months after the Broadway production closes doors after almost a two-year run it's in our fairburg here's what you need to know it's the story of Motown I mean really don't need to go to the deep in that very gordy we got the start of the thing it actually starts the night of the of the broadcast of the Motown 25 special in 1983 and then goes back to Barry's child that it works its way back up all right before we get we got to think uh city heavens everybody at the ATT pack org at the AT&T Performance Center well ATT former attack horn plus also everybody at the Winspir Opera House we're inviting us to this thing and I love that room oh yeah that's a beautiful location those people are even Cindy and everybody there they're so good to us it's practically my favorite building in the city you ain't lying brother where do we even start 60 Motown classics crammed into about two and a half hours with a 15-minute admission could there be something more up our alleys no serious I can unless they called it Robin Chad's musical like outside of that I was as I was as excited to see this as I as I have been to see anything we've we've reviewed since we started reviewing things brother you ain't lying I was I was over the moon whenever I found out this was coming to town and the first thing I did when we got when we got to our seats I would straight to the to the rundown I'm like I want to know what songs are they they had deemed good enough for this thing and you open it to that page you're like oh good god I mean I thought I thought there was a lot of music when we saw dirty dancing no no no no no no no no no 60 count now not all of them are played in its entirety some of them are stretched a little longer because I'll be about five hours right but summer summer short and summer length and like what's going on is lengthened which ain't wrong with that effect and we're gonna get to that here and very effectively from a technical aspect I was floored uh huh and I'm gonna hold off because there's one piece of this thing that almost took my focus away from what was going on because it was so often but I'm gonna hold on to it done talk about how you felt about the presentation overall okay going into this you know this is not my genre let's just get this play this everybody genre sir maybe you may not go deep into it you're now which may not be as deep as Chad's or mine but you just still enjoy the meal yeah there is some all time yeah totally it's just not it's not my not your wheelhouse yeah wheelhouse compared to you guys you know I mean um but don't be wrong there's some all-time greatness so I was kind of going in kind of you know open-minded on this not as excited as you guys I'm gonna be honest that's what the yeah so we have going through this thing though I loved the look in how they did the set changes the lighting the flow of everything it was really good now I put in my written via the club ask podcast to come that's our website you know I said this is a little bit longer than the average musical we see maybe Bob about 15 20 minutes you know so I kind of felt I mean this thing definitely has a might yeah it's linked to it I kind of felt that by the end but still song after song after song which just brought back memories of some stuff having heard in years but growing up you know there there though whatever you watch those you know adds as a kid growing up for those music collections from John Denver to the you know any kind of box car wheelie but on all those populations there's always someone from Motown in there oh always yeah I'm not gonna debate because it's absolutely true yeah yeah there's a reason for that there's a reason that that little house they bought into Troy was called hitsville USA you look at the the average film soundtrack especially in the late in the mid to late 80s of films that were inundated big chill big chill three dancing platoon uh and you go see it goes in for scum for scum in the 90s uh even clerks too yeah has a jackson five tracking it became the soundtrack not just two of these films it became yeah it became the soundtrack to people's lives there is there's just no music like it no like there's a reason that every song in the background playlist for this we're not we're not getting funny with it it's all Motown because I can it just and it was hit after hit after hit what you like an embarrassment of riches as you might say I felt spoiled yeah I mean when you're at the point where there's people in the audience yelling there's at one point when they're singing you're all I need to get by and some guy in the background gone boy and people were clapping for the guy that said you better believe they did I was fully expecting people to start dancing in the aisles and it would not have upset me even if it was right in front of me wouldn't have cared because that's the kind of music Motown is how many times as you find yourself just slap in the rail of of the there were times I just put it through my hands up I could honestly okay okay my mind just got blown again because one of my favorite songs of all time and I don't want to give away how it's done is mercy mercy me the apology song that performance dear god man it it brought you to your knees if you were standing up it would chop your legs off and Jaron news who plays Marvin Gayle oh cured Lord you kidding me as much as I went off on Chadwick Boseman embodying the spirit of James Brown this cat he transforms into Marvin Gayne we're all due respect to Jesse Al Martin who should have played him in the biopic I'm just saying this performance I can't give you top to bottom every performance in this thing and beyond the five principles we'll give you there's three different kids that play Michael because the Jackson five are introduced in the Motown and depending on what when you go it's gonna it's gonna change who you saw we saw Nathaniel colors see you l-o-r-s that was scary he hit it out of the park like he hit it out of the park and for people that don't understand it's very very difficult to dance and sing at the same time because of the cardio involved this kid never missed a beat now my I will say this song breakdown of room I know I'd say this the only thing that kind of I mean I'll be there got a little shaky in the beginning it finished incredibly strong but it got a little shaky in the beginning yeah he sounded a little unsure of himself which and you and I had talked about it and maybe that was what they were going for I don't know because it kind of fit for what was going on because it was taking 19 no in the studio you know but he wasn't auditioning anymore it just now let's get to what I kind of buried earlier one thing that absolutely I constantly thought was cool if you watch productions whether it's movies or television shows from the sixties they did this thing where everything was framed out and everybody was in these little boxes with the boxes were never all quite the same size you know I'm talking about yeah they had these beans that did that and moved around which I was like okay that's kind of cool until they turned into video wall and I said in my written review at www.theclubhousepodcast.com which is what I wasn't gonna ruin it and if you're not only if you only read the written review then it won't but this was freaking cool yeah the use of video whether it was projected whether it was a video wall that drifted across the stage when it just gave you a date or a location or it was yeah when they brought the contours and did do you love me and you had the people that were basically dancing in silhouette in front of the video wall were almost looked like they were in the video wall because of the silhouette and they moved they moved with the video wall that was insane as like and the way they did things like in the beginning were they were talking to different reporters they was switched sides of the stage with the spotlight of the different reports that were going on and while the other reporter was was in the spotlight the one that wasn't the spotlight was acting like he was still talking the little stuff like that like I from a technical standpoint the band was amazing they didn't overpower each other the the level of the scene they almost scared the width out of me in the very beginning because those horns hit quickly before the curtain goes up but like watching the very opening scene where it's the dress rehearsal for Motown 25 and you got the four tops on one side and you got the temptations on the other side and we're going back and forth I'm like this can end right now and I'm still happy oh by the way I've got another two and a half hours of this to do at least I mean it just you just wanted to just get in the car and just put like a nine disc set of Motown and just let it play and something to the kids this is a master class on music I actually said that all right when you go see this at www to club has podcast.com that's our website he's finally getting it kids sit down and go tell your parents you need to go see this and sit down and and the best part is none of its lip sync now none of its can it's all live and it's all brilliant you want to hear what real music by real musicians Josh tell her sounds like who plays Barry Gordy has I wouldn't he doesn't have a real powerful voice but he holds that control especially in that upper register so well yeah he controls the room you know when you have when you when you're playing Barry Gordy and you're playing opposite somebody playing Diana Ross in this case Allison's semis I hope I said that right semis she has to play a bit because if you're gonna play Diana Ross you have to play it bigger than life yeah and she she she blows me away yeah she was impressive just even when she just talked you heard Diana Ross talking I I can't wait for I love you don't touch me you know I was the whole time I went in and never happened but it's a wall that's all I'm saying I want to give a little testament you know he's do that a lot of stuff is not on my playlist on my iTunes so that's you know that's just me personal we can help you take care of that oh yeah but I'm just saying that this is really is my personal genre but me going in there I knew about every song also just like you guys even though it's not my cup of tea because these are so historic you will hear them throughout your life that's like even I know that one even I know that one even not and that's the brilliance of it I mean Barry Gordy had his hands all over the the the the forming of this thing it's based on the book about him he could have easily gone obscure but even then I know we know what the people want and let's give the people we want they give the people what they want and they deliver ten times and I'll be honest with you not a fan of reach out and touch someone's hand in this thing he loved it how they did it that's all I'm saying I'm not saying how they did it was a point I was pointing at Jason and Chad at one point that's all I'm going to say because there's some great audience participation you know but I didn't know I hate that brave I all lost it I just said this cat I almost did but it just there's I can literally outside of that that thing with all be there but again we don't know what that wasn't the intent there's need to have nothing bad to say about this I will say one thing about the only thing I didn't really like is how fast they went through the era of Rick James in the Commodore's they were really not part of this even though you know it's the Commodore Scott what a whole minute yeah but what you have to understand is by that point in Motown things were really fleeting but it still and that wasn't that wasn't the meat of the story you just had to know that these guys were involved that's my one complaint is that the story kind of seemed to be a little skimmed over because there was so much music to cram in they didn't have they didn't leave room for a lot of deep stories that didn't bother and no it didn't bother me but if I if I could only pick out one thing to complain about that would be it that there wasn't enough story to be told because we were focusing so much on how amazing this music was and how it important it was to American cult I mean the Rick James was only in there for about a minute Commodore's about a minute but it was funny they still should have gave them I think more time could still they kept the train going and when Rick James comes out yes that happened that's all I'm saying prepare yourself for it we kind of hitched our bets on that before it started like it was going to have you what it did and it did and you know you got Tina Marie in there you know he's fan of and that girl nailed it yeah and I also put in my room if you had to call us pluck out some of these people they really sounded just the same as if it was the Stevie Wonder anybody yeah not just sounded looked be it yeah all the matter I was and can I say I'm I this isn't really a spoiler but it's something really subtle that you have to look for at the very end when they have the big finale number that's happening during Motown 25 how Stevie's facing the wrong way the whole time that was a bold choice sir let me be honest that was a bold bold move but I want to remember wondering at the broadcast did that happen that way it probably did go back and look at that but I've just got to say that the testament to the singing that I was these guys just like remind me of the movie the doors of how Val Kilmer sounded just like Jim Morrison when you think of these guys sounded just like and outside of your five principles you had people playing multiple, multiple roles if you look in the market program it just it says through the majority of the of the cast it just says ensemble ensemble ensemble because they're playing five six different roles and playing them well very well and you're not going to say it I'm going to say it if you're a fan of prince and if you're not I'm sending you to a communist country if you remember when he did SNL what was that five six years ago when he was promoting 31 21 he had a young lady with him who they called Tamar it's actually her middle name her first name actually Ashley Tamar Davis it's in this thing and she plays Gladys Knight and as much as I'm not a fan of Gladys Knight's version of I heard it through the grapevine she destroys it because you know when it comes or heard the grapevine there's one version and it's more of a game that's this true but she absolutely killed on that she also plays ester gory yes she does so I think she does more time playing that than she does Gladys Knight but she's she shows her chops well there's not one member of this cast that I didn't go wow and that's we all know and we can't get through this review without saying this temptation saying no what I did which I think was Charlotte's beef she didn't get to hear that yeah that was her only complaint but when you see people because there were people from all walks of life ages creeds colors in this in this room and everybody's having a good time yeah it was it it didn't feel like a musical it just felt like we were at a live concert that just happened to have a storyline weaving through it yeah I wasn't dancing queen but I was even I was getting into this puppy it was just saying a lot oh good I mean even the scene where they're traveling through the south and playing the shows the two cops funny and who is the one cat that was just kind of yeah from it was one of the guys in the I believe it was a musical it was it was one of the peeking around the anything else you want to add before we get to final analysis here because I could do this all day yeah I really could but the Empire's got lives leaves okay yeah let's just get to the final analysis done anything you want to add yeah we got to thanks Cindy Evans Cindy's so awesome yeah I think everybody had pack or get in her bay at the Winspir Opera House for inviting us to this thing and it plays through August 16th Sunday August 16th at the Winspir Opera All right now the final analysis here is a little different than the way we normally do it because this is a stage production it's not a film so the first question is obviously the same we don't do eight you know letter grades we don't do one to ten we don't do stars we don't do thumbs-up thumbs down because our audience who we very very affectionately refer to as the Empire is better than that two questions question number one will always be the same would you see this again if the answer is no I think we've done here but if the answer is yes in the case of a stage production the question becomes where would you want to sit what ticket level would you want to sit in I think we can safely all skip the first question anybody want to debate me no okay so don let's start with you where do you want to sit believe it or not I would want to be center of the second level to get a center of you looking down okay I get that I get that but don't be wrong if you could even if you can only get the fifth level or the fourth level or on the side see this thing but I would I would think it be a good thing for the center center level second section chat yes wherever I could I don't I love where we're sitting because things happened right right you feed away from your elbow basically um I don't know if there is such a thing is a thing you're like this person got a stop talking oh no they're supposed to be talking because they're they're walking towards the stage because they're going to getting they're getting on this day I don't care if I have to sit on the roof with my ear to the ground on the roof that get me in the room I don't care I don't care if I'm in the front row I don't care if I'm in the lobby watching it on a monitor didn't meet in the room for a finale for their for their season I don't know if they could have made a better choice to close this destroyed it destroyed it I I love this thing as much as anything I've seen and rumors of it reopening on Broadway next year and heading to London to play there I think starting in February yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah this thing Motown the musical go go now go often go again go we somebody by August 16th at the one's brought brass and if you ever take a plane because you missed it here to find it somewhere else do that too it is that good it's impossible to oversell how good this musical is because again who's not a fan of at least one song that has a note down and it's the sound track it'll last 60 years and music that will live and doesn't seem to age it's it is it is time isn't in the sky right now from what was it's 73 give or take and it still sounds amazing better than anything you're hearing on the radio now brother you ain't going to hear me the and I guarantee you right now I don't care where you are this happens there's people on their feet I don't care if you're out of barbecue I don't care if you're in church I don't care if you're at the mall I don't care if you're at Buckingham Palace there are people throwing down right now hearing this after it leaves us it goes to Atlanta peace up eight but it doesn't stay there very long it's only there for like five days 18 through the 23rd of all yeah we got a long run here guys take advantage of it do so all right Joe I'm going to do the plugs yes we are I don't want to click away from this all visit our website www dot the clubhouse podcast dot com find out everything you need to know and some stuff you know like our Facebook page look up the clubhouse podcast on Facebook put the word podcast on the and something completely different follow this show on Twitter at clubhouse show you can follow me on Twitter if you'd like I am at yes that rob urban that is both ERV I end I am at chat in PG69 I'm at phong don go and you can email me at dawn at the clubhouse podcast dot com email don't worry information how we can come to a live show at your particular establishment we love doing live remote shows you can email me if you'd like questions comments concerns tell me to go pound sand I am rob at the clubhouse podcast dot com I am chat at the clubhouse podcast dot charla parker is on Pinterest and jules walmak she had a good time as well did she ever our normal show every Sunday night seven eastern four Pacific is your one stop shop for all things sports entertainment so until the next time we talk by the way just keep subscribing on iTunes and you get everything for done for chat for the empire I'm rob clubhouse is closed these could put pretty Paul anywhere in this thing I'm good and just saying the preceding was a sooner or later production why because I have to