Imagine this. You walk into the theater. You find your seat. You sit down. Finally, you open your Playbill for a little taste of what’s in store, and you are greeted by the song list found above. If you’re like me, you proceed to fall over, out of your seat, and into the aisle. Except, in the case of Motown the Musical, you will promptly be asked to move out of the way- for some celebrity most likely needs to get to their expensive premium seat.
That’s right folks. The show that shatters the less-is-more-theory into a bunch of tiny toe-tapping pieces is a Broadway hit- packing in the tourists, breaking box office records, and causing more sporadic aisle-dancing than Hairspray. And they say it couldn’t be done. Poppycock! You can’t stop the beat? You can’t stop Berry Gordy? It’s all the same really.
But, I must admit. I was skeptical. Yes, a terrific score can make a musical soar, and you couldn’t possibly find any better source material than the Motown catalog. Its music is about as good as it gets. However, good music does not a good musical make. How could one go about weaving together a cohesive piece out of a severely inflated list of tunes? Motown makes Mamma Mia‘s 27 Abba hits seem like a walk in the park!
Yet, miraculously, they did it. The show works. Sure… Maybe Berry Gordy isn’t the next Harvey Fierstein when it comes to book writers. And maybe it’s always better to see shows being created with original scores. But, here’s the thing: the music successfully tells the story. Why? The music is the story! As the musical styles change throughout the show, it parallels the changes that Mr. Gordy actually dealt with throughout the history of Motown Records. Moreover, these songs have staying power for a reason. Not only are they exhilarating musically speaking, but they also tap into those very human emotions that are essential for Broadway characters to justifiably break into song.
So, yes, sixty songs in a musical is RIDICULOUS in many ways. But, the goal to stuff as many hits into a show as possible is a trend that has been growing steadily alongside the popularity of the jukebox musical. Say what you want, but it’s probably here to stay. I say we embrace it. The fact is, Mr. Gordy is drawing a whole new audience to Broadway, and they are having the times of their lives. What’s wrong with getting to sing along with some of your favorite songs in a Broadway house anyways? I just hope these people might enjoy themselves enough to stick around, and maybe catch another show. And maybe… just maybe… that show might be a completely original musical where the songs tell the story as well as Motown‘s (surprisingly) do.
Now, please excuse me. I’m going to go spend a few hours listening to Stevie Wonder.