“Motown” Musical: Distorting The Record?
“Motown,” the new musical about the life and career of music mogul Berry Gordy, will begin Broadway previews March 11, 2013. The production will star Valisia Lekae (pictured) as Miss Diana Ross. Gordy, who also authored the book to Motown, is producing the musical along with Kevin McCollum. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the show’s catalogue of classics, but the press release wrenched my eyebrows skyward: in this musical, “Berry fights against the odds to turn his improbable dream into a triumphant reality.” Undoubtedly, Gordy faced obstacles on the path to success, but given how shabbily he treated some of his stars over the years I’m not so sure I’ll be buying any attempt to make him heroic. All the same, Gordy has been waiting decades to counter the scheming way he was (fictionally) portrayed in “Dreamgirls.” Now he’ll have his say.
