MOTOWN THE MUSICAL extends booking to November 2019
by Best of Theatre Staff on Friday 8 June 2018, 2:53 pm
Motown the Musical today releases over 450,000 new tickets for sale, taking bookings for the hit West End show at the Shaftesbury Theatre to 2 November 2019. With music and lyrics from the Motown catalogue and book by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Motown the Musical tells the story behind the legendary classic hits, directed by Charles Randolph-Wright.
On 4 July this year Motown the Musical will mark 1000 performances at the Shaftesbury Theatre and in October a tour will play simultaneously around the UK. In January 2019 Motown the record label will mark its sixtieth anniversary and a month later Motown the Musical will celebrate its third year in London.
The production features a fifteen-piece orchestra playing 50 Motown tracks including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I’ll Be There, Dancing In The Street, Stop! In The Name Of Love, My Girl and I Heard It through the Grapevine. With just $800 borrowed from his family, Motown founder Berry Gordy, goes from featherweight boxer to heavyweight music mogul, discovering and launching the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more. Motown the Musical uncovers the true story of the legendary record label that changed music history and created the soundtrack of a generation.
The cast is led by Jay Perry as Berry Gordy, Natalie Kassanga as Diana Ross, David Albury as Smokey Robinson and Carl Spencer as Marvin Gaye. Cruz Lee-Ojo, 12 years old from Uxbridge and Tumo Reetsang, 13 years old from Southwark share the role of Young Michael Jackson, Berry Gordy and Stevie Wonder.
Ensemble members comprise Chanice Alexandra-Burnett, KM Drew Boateng, Timothy Benjamin, Ryan Carter, Ricardo Castro, Amandla Elynah, Livvy Evans, Segun Fawole, Angela Marie Hurst, Cameron Bernard Jones, Cleopatra Joseph, Duane Lamonte, Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Mireia Mambo, Matt Overfield,Adam Philpott, Ainsley Hall Ricketts, Lawrence Rowe, Nate Simpson, Jaime Tait, Kyle Turner, Anna Van Ruiten, Cherelle Williams, Lashane Williams, Michael Woolston-Thomas, Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli and Mitchell Zhangazha.
Motown the Musical has music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Ethan Popp, co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Bryan Cook and dance arrangements by Zane Mark. Choreography is by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams, scenic design by David Korins, costumes by Emilio Sosa, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Peter Hylenski and video by Daniel Brodie. UK Associate Director is Tara Wilkinson, Conductor & UK Associate Music Supervisor is Gareth Weedon, UK Associate Set Designer is Andrew Edwards and UK Associate Lighting Designer is Alistair Grant and UK Sound Associate is Chris Full. Motown the Musical is produced in the West End by Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris, Berry Gordy and Adam Spiegel.
Motown the Musical's online Lottery allows audiences the opportunity to purchase two great seats at £15 each. Patrons can apply at any time for all performances in a two-week period. Lucky winners will be notified three-five days before their allocated performance and will have 24 hours to purchase their tickets online before the next winner is selected.
Motown the Musical is proudly supported by Swarovski crystal who originally partnered with the show on Broadway and provided 400,000 Swarovski crystals for costume and set.