Motown: The Musical - Brandon Victor Dixon & Valisia LeKae

The world premiere of Motown: The Musical, based on the life of Motown founder Berry Gordy, will open on Broadway at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on 14 Apr 2013, following previews from 11 Mar 2013.

Tony Award-nominee Brandon Victor Dixon and Valisia LeKae have been cast in the leading roles of 'Berry Gordy' and 'Diana Ross.'

Brandon Victor Dixon received a Tony Award-nomination for his performance in 'The Color Purple' and received a Drama Desk Award-nomination for 'The Scottsboro Boys' Off-Broadway.

Valisia LeKae has appeared in the Broadway musicals 'The Book of Mormon,' 'Ragtime,' '110 in the Shade' and 'The Threepenny Opera.'

Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright and choreographed by Patricia Wilcox, Motown: The Musical will feature a book by Berry Gordy and music and lyrics from the Motown catalogue.

Press notes desribe Motown: The Musical as, "the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed America forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy's incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross and The Supremes, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye and many more."

The show tells the story behind the hits as Smokey finds his unique voice, Diana skyrockets to stardom and Berry fights against the odds to turn his improbable dream into a triumphant reality.

Charles Randolph-Wright recently staged the Pulitzer Prize winning play 'Ruined' and the musical 'Sophisticated Ladies' at Arena Stage and the 75th anniversary international tour of 'Porgy and Bess.' The New York staging of his play 'Blue' has been produced throughout the U.S.

The creative team will feature scenic design by David Korins, costume design by ESosa, lighting design by Natasha Katz and sound design by Peter Hylenski.