(clockwise) Natalie Kassanga, Jay Perry, David Albury and Carl Spencer
Cast changes have been announced for the West End production of popular musical’ Motown the Musical as it celebrates its second birthday at the Shaftesbury Theatre this weekend.
Currently booking until 5 January 2019, the hit musical account of the legendary Berry Gordy’s founding and running of the Motown record label arrived in the UK in February 2016, following success in the US.
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.
From 6 March the show’s current ‘lead Temptation’, Jay Perry will take on the central role of Berry Gordy while original cast member Carl Spencer (The Scottsboro Boys) will take over as Marvin Gaye. Also joining the show, will be Natalie Kassanga (Oliver!, The Lion King) who step into the role of Diana Ross.
They will join David Albury who continues in the role of Smokey Robinson and 11-year-old Cruz Lee-Ojo who joins the company to share the roles of young Michael Jackson, Berry Gordy and Stevie Wonder with 12-year-old Tumo Reetsang.
Completing the company are ensemble members: Chanice Alexandra-Burnett, KM Drew Boateng, Timothy Benjamin, Ryan Carter, Ricardo Castro, Amandla Elynah, Livvy Evans, Segun Fawole, Angela Marie Hurst, Cameron Bernard Jones, Cleopatra Joseph, Duane Lamonte, Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Mireia Mambo, Matt Overfield, Adam Philpott, Ainsley Hall Ricketts, Lawrence Rowe, Nate Simpson, Jaime Tait, Kyle Turner, Anna Van Ruiten, Cherelle Williams, Lashane Williams, Michael Woolston-Thomas, Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli and Mitchell Zhangazha.
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.
After receiving its world premiere in April 2013 in New York at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, the first US national tour of Motown the Musical 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.
Alongside the West End production, a new version of the show is due to set off on a major UK and Ireland tour this autumn.
Angela Thomas
Tickets for Motown the Musical are available HERE
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