MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL’S
TONY AWARD® NOMINEE VALISIA LEKAE
NBC’s “THE GRIO” VIDEO FEATURE
“Valisia LeKae is sweet and spicy as Diana Ross. She evokes that diva in both song and speech.” – USA Today
“LeKae nails the understated intensity of Diana Ross.” – Entertainment Weekly
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL’s Tony Award® nominated leading lady Valisia LeKae, who stars in the new hit musical based on the life of Motown founder Berry Gordy, recently sat down with NBC’s “The Grio” host Chris Witherspoon for a special segment on portraying the legendary Diana Ross for the first time ever on a Broadway stage and playing to standing ovations in the biggest box office hit of the season.
In addition to being nominated for a 2013 Tony Award® for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her breakthrough role, LeKae has also been recognized with Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations in addition to the Theatre World Award.
Now watch the complete video segment:http://thegrio.com/
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, featuring music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalogue and a book by Berry Gordy began preview performances on March 11 at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street), and officially opened on April 14.
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed our culture 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, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more.
Featuring all the classics you love, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. The music that shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat finally comes to Broadway in the season’s most anticipated world-premiere event.
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL stars Tony Award® nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (The Color Purple) and Valisia LeKae (The Book of Mormon) in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross and features Charl Brown (Jersey Boys) as Smokey Robinson and Bryan Terrell Clark as Marvin Gaye leading an ensemble cast of 40 featuring Timothy J. Alex,Michael Arnold, Nicholas Christopher, Rebecca E. Covington, Ariana DeBose,Andrea Dora, Preston W. Dugger III, Wilkie Ferguson, Dionne Figgins, Marva Hicks, Tiffany Janene Howard, Sasha Hutchings, Jawan M. Jackson, Lauren Lim Jackson,Morgan James, John Jellison, Crystal Joy, Grasan Kingsberry, Jamie LaVerdiere,Raymond Luke Jr., Jibreel Mawry, Marielys Molina, Sydney Morton, Maurice Murphy, Jarran Muse, Jesse Nager, Milton Craig Nealy, N’Kenge, Dominic Nolfi,Saycon Sengbloh, Ryan Shaw, Jamal Story, Eric LaJuan Summers, Ephraim Sykes,Julius Thomas III, Daniel J. Watts and Donald Webber, Jr.
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL’s creative team features choreography by Patricia Wilcox(Blues in the Night) and Warren Adams (Toy Story), scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award® nominee ESosa (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, “Project Runway”), lighting design by Tony Award® winnerNatasha Katz (Once, Sister Act), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski(Rock of Ages, The Scottsboro Boys), projection design by Daniel Brodie (Jekyll and Hyde).
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL features arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp(Rock of Ages), who will also serve as musical supervisor for the 18 piece orchestra and reproduce the classic “Sound of Young America” for the Broadway stage, with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Bryan Crook (“Smash”), dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and music direction by Joseph Joubert (Nice Work If You Can Get It).
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is produced by Tony Award winning producer Kevin McCollum(Rent, In the Heights, Avenue Q), Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Entertainment Doug Morris and Motown founder Berry Gordy.
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL plays Tues at 7pm; Wed – Sat at 8pm; Wed and Sat at 2pm; Sun at 3pm; Dark Mon. Tickets prices range from $57.00 – $142.00 and are available by calling Ticketmaster at 877-250-2929 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
