Memphis And Motown Transfers From Broadway

[Guest lofthope]

Memphis the Musical has just opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End, whilst I understand that Motown the Musical is due to arrive here in about 12 months time. Both are Broadway hits. I believe someone posted on here recently that a Stax musical has run in to problems over music rights.

 

I saw Memphis the Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre last night and can thoroughly recommend it. Set in the 1950s but with a very 1960s sounding score, Beverley Knight and the rest of the cast provide excellent performances, well executed choreography and plenty of energy. The plot is about love, racial tension and the music...I won't give any more away but some people in the audience were in tears despite the fact that the production's main charm is the music and dance.

 

On first hearing of this show I had originally presumed that there would be a splattering of Stax, Hi or maybe even Goldwax classics, then heard it was set in the 1950s but was then amazed that the score was so 1960s sounding. I was even more surprised to find out it was scored by Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan given the 1960s Soul/R&B feel it had, well done that man!

 

For those that are able to get to a London show or if you're planning a visit to London's West End......Memphis comes highly recommended.

 

https://www.memphisthemusical.com/default.asp

[Guest Dave Turner]

I may be doing it a diservice as I haven't seen it but I probably wouldn't go to the end of our street to see the Motown jobby, well perhaps the end of the street but not much further.

 

However "Memphis" looks as if it'll be more my thing

 

YT page

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/MemphisTheMusical/videos

[Guest lofthope]

I'll wait and see with the Motown one, but was speaking to someone from the USA this week who has seen the Motown musical on Broadway and he said that it was a bit of a 'Berry Gordy' vanity project squeezing in as many hits as possible through the use of medlies'.

 

I see the reviews for Memphis are out this morning and are very good. I thought it was excellent personally. With the Northern Soul film and Memphis stage show hitting this week, these are good times IMO!

[Guest]

I saw Motown on Broadway last year.

I agree somewhat with the above , a bit like Gordy's Autobiography set to  music, but as a long standing Motown fan I was pleasantly surprised at the show...it was not just a "juke box" affair, . Probably better than you'd expect....but not as much as you'd hope for.

It's not all Diana Ross and Michael Jackson !!

 

BTW the trailer shown at "Northern Soul" (James Brown story) looked very good . Will catch that.

[Steve S 60]

Just been speaking to Beverley Knight's father-in-law over the phone, as I'm doing some work for the company he works for.  He was saying that Memphis and Beverley have got a few nominations in the Olivier Awards.

[Rob Moss]

Musicals. Kill me now.

[Eddie Hubbard]

I saw the Motown one ,on Broadway this time last year , it was actually very good ....and fun