Picture: Tristram Kenton
Motown The Musical will set off on a major UK and Ireland tour this autumn. Opening at the Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre on 11 October, the first UK and Ireland tour of the hit musical account of the legendary Berry Gordy’s founding and running of the Motown record label follows on from a highly successful US tour.
Arriving in London in February 2016, following success in the US, Motown The Musical continues to play to standing ovations at the Shaftesbury Theatre where it is currently booking until 5 January 2019.
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright and with a book by Berry Gordy, based on his 1994 autobiography To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown, the show features music and lyrics from the extensive Motown catalogue.
Focusing on Gordy’s personal and professional relationships with Motown artists such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson, the Tony-nominated musical features a 16-piece orchestra playing 50 Motown tracks.
Commenting on the upcoming tour, Gordy said: “The UK has always been the gateway for Motown to the rest of the world. While the West End production still continues to perform to great audiences, I’m thrilled that we are taking a second production of Motown The Musical to the rest of the UK.”
After receiving its world premiere in April 2013 in New York at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, the first US national tour opened to critical acclaim in 2014 Chicago, grossing $20 million dollars during its 16-week run, and continues to play to packed houses across America.
Following its Birmingham launch, the UK and Ireland tour will visit Leeds Grand Theatre (6-17 November); Edinburgh Playhouse (20 November-8 December); Bristol Hippodrome (10 January-2 February 2019); Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin (5-23 February 2019); Manchester Opera House (26 February-23 March 2019); and Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (26 March-6 April 2019). Further dates and casting will be announced soon.
The production boasts music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Ethan Popp; co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Bryan Cook; and dance arrangements by Zane Mark. Choreography is by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams; scenic design by David Korins; costumes by Emilio Sosa; lighting design by Natasha Katz; sound by Peter Hylenski; video projections by Daniel Brodie and wig design by Charles Lapointe.
Motown the Musical is produced in the West End by Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris, Berry Gordy and Adam Spiegel.
Angela Thomas
Tickets for London production of Motown The Musical are available HERE.
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