Ephraim Sykes, Jeremy Pope, Jawan M. Jackson, James Harkness & Derrick Baskin in Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations

Complete Broadway cast announced for Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations

Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations begins performances at Broadway's Imperial Theatre on February 28, 2019.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Producers of the celebrated new bio-musical Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations have now announced complete casting for the Broadway premiere, which, as previously announced, is set to play the Imperial Theatre., beginning previews on February 28, 2019, before an official opening on March 21.

The full cast of Ain't Too Proud includes Derrick Baskin (as Otis Williams), James Harkness (as Paul Williams), Jawan M. Jackson (as Melvin Franklin), Jeremy Pope (as Eddie Kendricks), and Ephraim Sykes (as David Ruffin), alongside Esther Antoine, Saint Aubyn, Shawn Bowers, E. Clayton Cornelious, Rodney Earl Jackson Jr., Taylor Symone Jackson, Jahi Kearse, Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Joshua Morgan, Rashidra Scott, Nasia Thomas, Christian Thompson, Curtis Wiley, and Candice Marie Woods.

Jeremy Pope is also set to make his Broadway debut, prior to Ain't Too Proud, in Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway premiere of Choir Boy by Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, which is scheduled to play the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre from December 12, 2018 through to February 17, 2019.

Featuring a book by Dominique Morisseau and an iconic score of legendary Temptations songs such as "My Girl," "Just My Imagination," and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," Ain't Too Proud is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff and choreographed by Olivier Award winner Sergio Trujillo.

Synopsis: "Ain't Too Proud is the electrifying new musical that follows The Temptations' extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. The rest is history — how they met, how they rose, the groundbreaking heights they hit, and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the United States fell into civil unrest. This thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal is set to the beat of the group's treasured hits."

The creative team behind Ain't Too Proud features musical direction & arrangements by Kenny Seymour, orchestrations by Drama Desk Award winner Harold Wheeler, scenic design by Tony Award nominee Robert Brill, costume design by Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley, sound design by Tony Award winner Steve Canyon Kennedy, projection design by Drama Desk Award winner Peter Nigrini, hair & wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and fight direction by Steve Rankin.

The world premiere of Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations was staged at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in fall 2017, where it smashed records as the highest grossing production in that theater's nearly 50-year history. It went on to play limited engagements at Washington D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and is currently celebrating its Canadian premiere engagement at Toronoto's Princess of Wales Theatre through to November 17, 2018.

The Broadway premiere of Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations is produced by Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce.

(Photo by Matthew Murphy)

Originally published on

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