‘Motown: The Musical’ brings jukebox favorites to Saenger Theater
19th January 2016 · 0 Comments
By Della Hasselle
Contributing Writer
When actor, dancer and singer Chester Gregory found out he’d be playing the role of Berry Gordy in the current tour of “Motown: the Musical,” he felt like he had, in some ways, made a “full circle.”
The Gary, Indiana-born star has been a lifelong fan of Michael Jackson, he said, and is now touring on a show that plays some of his favorite hits from both Jackson and the pop superstar’s biggest influence, Jackie Wilson.
“There’s this moment in the show depicting Jackie Wilson, and how Berry got his start,” Gregory told The Louisiana Weekly by phone. “And that’s how he met Michael Jackson….these three icons had this great relationship.”
The musical, which is slated to come to the Saenger on Tuesday for a run through Jan. 24, follows the life of Gordy, a former boxer who in the 1950s decided to switch careers to music production in his hometown of Detroit.
Thanks to Gordy and the slew recording artists who would go on to make him famous, a whole new genre of music evolved, one that created the soundtrack for America for decades and broke racial barriers in the process.
Named after a moniker for Detroit, the sounds of Motown dominated charts, even when Gordy was in his 60s. To this day, the famous songs by Jackson, Wilson, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, The Temptations and many others continue to be celebrated through Jukeboxes around the world.
“We have 62 of Motown’s greatest hits, and performing the songs never gets old,” Gregory said about the show, adding that his favorite song was “To Be Loved,” one of the many hit tunes Gordy wrote for Wilson. “I am having the time of my life. This is one of my favorite jobs, ever.”
Aside from Wilson’s songs, other memorable tunes performed in the show include the Jackson 5’s “ABC,” “My Girl,” recorded by the Temptations in 1964, “Brick House,” sung by the Commodores, and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”
The show also includes “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” the R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966, Lionel Richie’s hit “All Night Long” and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” recorded by the Four Tops.
The story behind the musical, based on the legend Gordy created, was first made eternal in a 1994 autobiography he penned called To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown.
The book was then turned into a musical directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, the man behind the record-breaking musical “Sophisticated Ladies” starring Maurice Hines, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Ruined” and the 75th Anniversary international tour of “Porgy and Bess.”
“Motown” premiered on Broadway in April 2013, where it ran for almost two years.
In 2014, the show was brought to Chicago, and went on tour around the country from there. Tuesday will mark the first time “Motown: The Musical” graces a stage in New Orleans, and only the third week that Gregory plays the part of Gordy.
On Thursday, Gregory said that although he had only been with the show since the beginning of January, it had already served to turn him into a more “well-rounded artist.”
He described preparing for the show by meeting Gordy during rehearsals last fall, a man Gregory said was “extremely approachable” and energetic about giving direction, even though he was 85 years old at the time.
“It feels like he’s somebody you know already,” Gregory said. “There’s no pretentious wall or anything.”
He’s still in the process of reading Gordy’s book, he said, and is continually working on developing the nuance it takes to portray such a giant in the music business, with such an eclectic and rich past.
“I think the most challenging thing is just knowing that the show covers six decades,” Gregory said, adding that in the show his character ages from 20 to 54. “I want to make sure every day I’m going giving my all…there are nuances that have to happen as well, and I want to be true to all of that.”
He also marveled that he learns something new about the music every time he gets on stage to perform.
“That’s what I love about theater. You’re in the moment, with one show, and that’s it,” Gregory said. “The next night, it’s a different show. It’s a new experience, night after night.”
As far as coming to New Orleans, Gregory said he was “absolutely” excited to return as an artist, and debut the show for an audience known to idolize all kinds of music.
“Are you kidding me?” Gregory laughed. “It’s one of greatest music cities, not just in America, but the world.”
This article originally published in the January 18, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
