Bruce Springsteen closed out his three-episode residency on The Tonight Show Wednesday with a soulful rendition of “Nightshift,” off his new covers LP Only the Strong Survive.
Backed by the same powerhouse band that accompanied him for the previous night’s performances, Springsteen delivered his take on the Commodores’ 1985 classic, a tribute to soul legends Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. The single is the “newest” recording featured on Only the Strong Survive, which is mostly comprised of R&b singles from the Sixties and Seventies.
While the three-night takeover concluded,...
Backed by the same powerhouse band that accompanied him for the previous night’s performances, Springsteen delivered his take on the Commodores’ 1985 classic, a tribute to soul legends Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. The single is the “newest” recording featured on Only the Strong Survive, which is mostly comprised of R&b singles from the Sixties and Seventies.
While the three-night takeover concluded,...
- 11/17/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
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Bruce Springsteen continued his takeover of The Tonight Show Tuesday with a performance of the soul classic “Turn Back the Hands of Time.”
Armed with a massive ensemble that included strings, horns, and a quartet of backup singers, Springsteen delivered a rousing version of the 1970 hit popularized by R&b great Tyrone Davis, as well as Jimmy and David Ruffin. The track features on Springsteen’s new covers LP Only the Strong Survive.
Bruce Springsteen continued his takeover of The Tonight Show Tuesday with a performance of the soul classic “Turn Back the Hands of Time.”
Armed with a massive ensemble that included strings, horns, and a quartet of backup singers, Springsteen delivered a rousing version of the 1970 hit popularized by R&b great Tyrone Davis, as well as Jimmy and David Ruffin. The track features on Springsteen’s new covers LP Only the Strong Survive.
- 11/16/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Bruce Springsteen’s soul covers record Only The Strong Survive lands November 11, and he’s just shared a video for “Don’t Play That Song,” which you can check out right here.
The 1962 song was written by Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun and Betty Nelson, the wife of Ben E. King. The original rendition was released by King on his 1962 LP Don’t Play That Song!, but the most memorable rendition arrived in 1970 when Aretha Franklin covered it on her album Spirit in the Dark. It’s also been recorded by Mariah Carey,...
The 1962 song was written by Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun and Betty Nelson, the wife of Ben E. King. The original rendition was released by King on his 1962 LP Don’t Play That Song!, but the most memorable rendition arrived in 1970 when Aretha Franklin covered it on her album Spirit in the Dark. It’s also been recorded by Mariah Carey,...
- 10/28/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
There’s no denying that Euphoria has spawned a powerful fandom. Every performance is a stand-out, from Zendaya’s Emmy-winning rendition of troubled Rue to Sydney Sweeney’s flawless take on chaotic Cassie. Another breakout star of note is Fezco, the drug dealer with a heart of gold, masterfully played by Angus Cloud.
From Fezco’s salute to ‘90s staples like Coogi sweaters to his affinity for perfectly color-blocked Polo Sport and Supreme tees, the character has become somewhat of a style star, likely because his look isn’t too far off from Cloud’s off-camera. The actor exudes cool without even trying, which is why Gmc recently collaborated with him and other cultural influencers on their Malibu Series campaign for the Hummer Ev supertruck.
Not one to hoard secrets, Cloud exclusively shared with The Hollywood Reporter his top 15 favorite things right now across fashion,...
There’s no denying that Euphoria has spawned a powerful fandom. Every performance is a stand-out, from Zendaya’s Emmy-winning rendition of troubled Rue to Sydney Sweeney’s flawless take on chaotic Cassie. Another breakout star of note is Fezco, the drug dealer with a heart of gold, masterfully played by Angus Cloud.
From Fezco’s salute to ‘90s staples like Coogi sweaters to his affinity for perfectly color-blocked Polo Sport and Supreme tees, the character has become somewhat of a style star, likely because his look isn’t too far off from Cloud’s off-camera. The actor exudes cool without even trying, which is why Gmc recently collaborated with him and other cultural influencers on their Malibu Series campaign for the Hummer Ev supertruck.
Not one to hoard secrets, Cloud exclusively shared with The Hollywood Reporter his top 15 favorite things right now across fashion,...
- 10/14/2022
- by Natalie Alcala
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bruce Springsteen has shared the video for his cover of the 1985 Commodores hit “Nightshift,” which will appear on his upcoming soul covers LP Only the Strong Survive, out November 11.
Commodores wrote the song a few years after parting ways with Lionel Richie to honor the memories of Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. The soul icons died just months apart the previous year. It was the group’s final Top 40 hit.
“Nightshift” is the newest song that Springsteen selected for Only the Strong Survive. Other tunes include Aretha Franklin’s “Don’t Play That Song,...
Commodores wrote the song a few years after parting ways with Lionel Richie to honor the memories of Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. The soul icons died just months apart the previous year. It was the group’s final Top 40 hit.
“Nightshift” is the newest song that Springsteen selected for Only the Strong Survive. Other tunes include Aretha Franklin’s “Don’t Play That Song,...
- 10/14/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
There’s a new Bruce Springsteen album on the way.
The Boss confirmed he’d be releasing a collection of 15 soul music covers titled Only The Strong Survive, which is set to be released by Columbia Records on November 11.
A press release confirmed, “Featuring lead vocals by Springsteen, Only The Strong Survive celebrates soul music gems from the legendary catalogues of Motown, Gamble and Huff, Stax and many more.
“This 21st studio album from Bruce Springsteen will also feature guest vocals by Sam Moore, as well as contributions from The E Street Horns, full string arrangements by Rob Mathes, and backing vocals by Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Dennis Collins and Fonzi Thornton.”
Credit: Columbia Records
Springsteen said of the record: “I wanted to make an album where I just sang. And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the ’60s and ’70s?...
The Boss confirmed he’d be releasing a collection of 15 soul music covers titled Only The Strong Survive, which is set to be released by Columbia Records on November 11.
A press release confirmed, “Featuring lead vocals by Springsteen, Only The Strong Survive celebrates soul music gems from the legendary catalogues of Motown, Gamble and Huff, Stax and many more.
“This 21st studio album from Bruce Springsteen will also feature guest vocals by Sam Moore, as well as contributions from The E Street Horns, full string arrangements by Rob Mathes, and backing vocals by Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Dennis Collins and Fonzi Thornton.”
Credit: Columbia Records
Springsteen said of the record: “I wanted to make an album where I just sang. And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the ’60s and ’70s?...
- 9/29/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Bruce Springsteen is releasing a collection of soul covers entitled Only The Strong Survive on November 11. Check out the video right here for “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do),” which was originally recorded by Frank Wilson.
The album centers around soul classics, both obscure and well-known, released from the Sixties through the Eighties. It gets its title from Jerry Butler’s 1969 tune “Only The Strong Survive.” The disc also includes “Soul Days” by Dobie Gray, “Nightshift” by the Commodores, “I Wish It Would Rain” by the Temptations, and “Somebody...
The album centers around soul classics, both obscure and well-known, released from the Sixties through the Eighties. It gets its title from Jerry Butler’s 1969 tune “Only The Strong Survive.” The disc also includes “Soul Days” by Dobie Gray, “Nightshift” by the Commodores, “I Wish It Would Rain” by the Temptations, and “Somebody...
- 9/29/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Next summer is already confirmed to be a “Summer of Soul.”
Oscar, Grammy, and Peabody award-winning documentary “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” has sparked a reimagining of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which the film explores.
Produced and directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, “Summer of Soul” was the inspiration for a new outdoor music festival set for 2023. The Harlem Festival of Culture (Hfc) will take place in Marcus Garvey Park, formerly known as Mount Morris Park, the same site as the original festival.
Hfc was founded by Harlem native, Ambassador Digital Magazine editor-in-chief Musa Jackson, who attended the original festival as a child and appeared in “Summer of Soul.” Nikoa Evans and Emmy-nominated event producer Yvonne McNair are also co-founders of the Hfc.
“The original event was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that I will never forget,” Jackson said in a press statement. “With this initiative,...
Oscar, Grammy, and Peabody award-winning documentary “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” has sparked a reimagining of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which the film explores.
Produced and directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, “Summer of Soul” was the inspiration for a new outdoor music festival set for 2023. The Harlem Festival of Culture (Hfc) will take place in Marcus Garvey Park, formerly known as Mount Morris Park, the same site as the original festival.
Hfc was founded by Harlem native, Ambassador Digital Magazine editor-in-chief Musa Jackson, who attended the original festival as a child and appeared in “Summer of Soul.” Nikoa Evans and Emmy-nominated event producer Yvonne McNair are also co-founders of the Hfc.
“The original event was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that I will never forget,” Jackson said in a press statement. “With this initiative,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Academy Award-nominated documentary Summer of Soul is getting a remarkable boost for its Oscar chances – a premiere on network television.
Disney-owned ABC announced it will air the film directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in primetime on Sunday, February 20. The documentary, about the long-overlooked Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, comes from Disney’s Onyx Collective, Searchlight Pictures and Hulu. Summer of Soul began streaming on Hulu last July, simultaneously with its theatrical release.
“In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary – part music film, part historical record – created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion,” ABC noted in a release. “Over the course of six weeks in summer 1969, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten – until now.
Disney-owned ABC announced it will air the film directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in primetime on Sunday, February 20. The documentary, about the long-overlooked Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, comes from Disney’s Onyx Collective, Searchlight Pictures and Hulu. Summer of Soul began streaming on Hulu last July, simultaneously with its theatrical release.
“In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary – part music film, part historical record – created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion,” ABC noted in a release. “Over the course of six weeks in summer 1969, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten – until now.
- 2/10/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
“Summer of Soul” is making its broadcast TV debut. The Oscar-nominated documentary will air Feb. 20 on ABC, the network said Thursday.
Acclaimed musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson made his directorial debut with the film, which tells the story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival at Mount Morris Park — just 100 miles south of Woodstock.
The festival featured a knockout lineup of R&b acts who turned several days of music and community into a celebration of joy and a call for Black visibility. “Summer of Soul” compiles long-unseen footage and vivid interviews with attendees and participants to transport viewers back to the event.
For the film, Questlove combed through 40 hours of footage of never-before-seen performances from Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the Staple Singers, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
“Summer of Soul” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where...
Acclaimed musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson made his directorial debut with the film, which tells the story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival at Mount Morris Park — just 100 miles south of Woodstock.
The festival featured a knockout lineup of R&b acts who turned several days of music and community into a celebration of joy and a call for Black visibility. “Summer of Soul” compiles long-unseen footage and vivid interviews with attendees and participants to transport viewers back to the event.
For the film, Questlove combed through 40 hours of footage of never-before-seen performances from Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the Staple Singers, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
“Summer of Soul” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where...
- 2/10/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
When in a romantic relationship, it’s never a good time to break up, nor to be the one getting dumped. The hilarious cold open of director Jason Orley’s rom-com “I Want You Back” begins with much promise, highlighting the indignities of the separate but equally humiliating fracturing of our two protagonists’ long-term loves. And while the premise of these two broken-hearted strangers finding each other and hatching a foolhardy scheme to win back their exes is quick to ramp up, the midsection plateaus when it should percolate with the pair’s plan taking form, or rather not quite manifesting correctly. Still, despite some pacing issues and predictable plotlines, the film keeps us wholeheartedly engaged with well-drawn, well-performed characters, grounded shenanigans and sweet, sentimental commentary on heartache.
Thirtysomethings Emma (Jenny Slate) and Peter (Charlie Day) both thought they were headed towards the next big step with their respective partners,...
Thirtysomethings Emma (Jenny Slate) and Peter (Charlie Day) both thought they were headed towards the next big step with their respective partners,...
- 2/9/2022
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
A few tracks into the soundtrack of Questlove’s music-fest documentary, an emcee introduces the next performer, David Ruffin. A year after being bounced out of the Temptations, the notoriously troubled Ruffin already sounds nostalgic: “I’d like to go back to the olden days,” he says, with a glimmer of humor, as his backup band starts into the Temps’ “My Girl.”
Only five years had passed since that hit had conquered the world, but as Ruffin himself may have gleaned, Black music had grown exponentially in that short time.
Only five years had passed since that hit had conquered the world, but as Ruffin himself may have gleaned, Black music had grown exponentially in that short time.
- 1/28/2022
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
BroadwayWorld has an exclusive first look at the cast of Ain't Too Proud in action Leading the cast of Ain't Too Proud as The Temptations are Jalen Harris as 'Eddie Kendricks,' Harrell Holmes Jr. as 'Melvin Franklin,' James T. Lane as 'Paul Williams,' and joining directly from the Broadway company are Marcus Paul James as 'Otis Williams,' and Elijah Ahmad Lewis as 'David Ruffin.'...
- 1/26/2022
- by BWW Staff
- BroadwayWorld.com
Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on music’s A list. This edition features backup vocalist Tawatha Agee.
Tawatha Agee always keeps a suitcase packed and ready to go at her home in Orange, New Jersey. That’s...
Tawatha Agee always keeps a suitcase packed and ready to go at her home in Orange, New Jersey. That’s...
- 7/7/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
The big Summer holiday weekend is finally upon us, so it’s getaway time. Ah, but what if you’re still a bit leery of travel, what with that “variant’ sweeping through several states? Well, there’s always the movies, though that loud, dim-witted auto-atrocity is still taking up a lot of multiplex space. This new release offers another type of getaway, one of location and time. It can be a bit confusing, but this feature is somehow old and new. And we won’t need Doc Brown’s DeLorean to immerse ourselves in the ozone of long ago NYC, 52 years ago to be exact. That sizzling Summer was the time of the Harlem Cultural Festival, spread out over several Sundays. Iconic pop culture entertainers performed before delighted audiences for free. Unfortunately, another music fest, about a hundred miles away in upstate New York, got all the media attention. Luckily it was all recorded,...
- 7/1/2021
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A version of this review originally ran in January during our coverage of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
If you had walked up to Harlem’s Mount Morris Park, on just about any given Sunday in the summer of 1969, you’d have run in to a crowd. There would be vendors selling food, kids running around, families grilling meat, folks lounging in the sun. You’d hear laughter, and chatter, and the sound of a good time. You’d smell what one resident recalls, decades later, as the combined scent of...
If you had walked up to Harlem’s Mount Morris Park, on just about any given Sunday in the summer of 1969, you’d have run in to a crowd. There would be vendors selling food, kids running around, families grilling meat, folks lounging in the sun. You’d hear laughter, and chatter, and the sound of a good time. You’d smell what one resident recalls, decades later, as the combined scent of...
- 6/25/2021
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Is Questlove’s “Summer of Soul” a concert film with sequences that put the music in the context of race relations in the late ’60s, or is it an examination of a crucial time in American history that has one hell of a soundtrack?
It’s both, and it’s neither. The feature directorial debut of Ahmir Thompson, who goes by the name of Questlove in his position as leader of the band the Roots, is a documentary in which politics and music are inextricably linked, in which culture flows from the church to the street to the concert stage.
You can come for the music and stay for the politics, or vice versa; either way, it’s a vibrant document of an inspiring event that never loses sight of what that event meant for a community, a city and a culture.
The film was one of the opening-night presentations...
It’s both, and it’s neither. The feature directorial debut of Ahmir Thompson, who goes by the name of Questlove in his position as leader of the band the Roots, is a documentary in which politics and music are inextricably linked, in which culture flows from the church to the street to the concert stage.
You can come for the music and stay for the politics, or vice versa; either way, it’s a vibrant document of an inspiring event that never loses sight of what that event meant for a community, a city and a culture.
The film was one of the opening-night presentations...
- 6/24/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Questlove was skeptical. In early 2019, the Roots’ drummer was approached by two Hollywood producers who claimed to have 45 hours of footage from a long-forgotten music festival in Harlem that had included performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, and more. Questlove, who’s renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of music history, had never heard of the event. He had, however, become used to fellow crate-digging obsessives trying to one-up him with dubious historical tidbits.
“That’s really what I thought it was,...
“That’s really what I thought it was,...
- 6/1/2021
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
As soon as Moneybagg Yo’s latest song opens with a four-count, you know it’s a Neptunes-produced track. The duo of Pharrell and Chad Hugo have a storied list of past collaborations, ranging from Britney Spears to Sza, and the way their sound merges with the Memphis rapper’s on “Certified Neptunes,” you’ll hope it’s not the last time these artists work together.
The track takes on an eerie outer space vibe that’s reminiscent of the Pharrell-produced Lil Uzi Vert track “Neon Guts,” yet darker and fitting for Moneybagg’s approach,...
The track takes on an eerie outer space vibe that’s reminiscent of the Pharrell-produced Lil Uzi Vert track “Neon Guts,” yet darker and fitting for Moneybagg’s approach,...
- 4/27/2021
- by Dewayne Gage
- Rollingstone.com
“Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” has become Sundance’s next major acquisition title, selling to Searchlight Pictures and Hulu.
An individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap it’s the biggest documentary sale in history, although no specifics were given. Another individual close to the transaction pegged the sale at $15 million. Buzz has been building around the film since its premiere last Thursday, sparking a bidding war for the documentary from The Roots bandleader Questlove. It was also the winner of the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan, acquired the worldwide rights to “Summer of Soul,” while Hulu will exclusively stream the doc domestically and Star and Star+ will stream it internationally.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,...
An individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap it’s the biggest documentary sale in history, although no specifics were given. Another individual close to the transaction pegged the sale at $15 million. Buzz has been building around the film since its premiere last Thursday, sparking a bidding war for the documentary from The Roots bandleader Questlove. It was also the winner of the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan, acquired the worldwide rights to “Summer of Soul,” while Hulu will exclusively stream the doc domestically and Star and Star+ will stream it internationally.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
If you had walked up to Harlem’s Mount Morris Park, on just about any given Sunday in the summer of 1969, you’d have run in to a crowd. There would be vendors selling food, kids running around, families grilling meat, folks lounging in the sun. You’d hear laughter, and chatter, and the sound of a good time. You’d smell what one resident recalls, decades later, as the combined scent of “Afro Sheen and chicken” wafting through the air. You’d probably catch someone climbing up on a tree,...
- 1/29/2021
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
A pulsating panorama of “Black, beautiful, proud” people, “Summer of Soul,” is . But this one, which marks the directorial debut of The Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, comes with a most unfortunate history: Its film reels were buried in a basement for 50 years, largely unseen, until now.
The “Questlove Jawn,” as it’s introduced in opening credits, covers the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, aka “The Black Woodstock.” The name stuck over the years not only because the concerts coincided with that other big rock festival upstate. The idea for the event flowered from the ashes of the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, as well as the Civil Rights movement, and was created to celebrate African-American music, culture and politics, and to promote Black pride and unity.
It wasn’t the first time. The initial Harlem Cultural Festival took place in 1967, when a thirtysomething Harlemite singer named...
The “Questlove Jawn,” as it’s introduced in opening credits, covers the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, aka “The Black Woodstock.” The name stuck over the years not only because the concerts coincided with that other big rock festival upstate. The idea for the event flowered from the ashes of the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, as well as the Civil Rights movement, and was created to celebrate African-American music, culture and politics, and to promote Black pride and unity.
It wasn’t the first time. The initial Harlem Cultural Festival took place in 1967, when a thirtysomething Harlemite singer named...
- 1/29/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
This year’s Sundance is shorter, virtual, is not local to just Park City and has a new director for the first time in years. But what has not changed is that Sundance remains one of the best marketplaces for independent films. This year’s lineup for the festival set for Jan. 28-Feb. 3 even has some hopeful Oscar contenders such as Robin Wright’s “Land” and “Judas and the Black Messiah” from Warner Bros., and we’ve already seen a few titles such as “Together Together,” “The World to Come” and “The Most Beautiful Boy in the World” find homes. But while there may be fewer films overall and without the in-person wheeling and dealing, the market figures to be just as robust with some exciting movies up for sale.
“Passing”
Actress Rebecca Hall is making her directorial debut on “Passing,” a psychological thriller set in 1920s New York and...
“Passing”
Actress Rebecca Hall is making her directorial debut on “Passing,” a psychological thriller set in 1920s New York and...
- 1/28/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Leon (The Temptations) is set for a recurring role opposite Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge on Season 2 of Showtime’s City On A Hill, currently in production. Created, written and executive produced by Chuck MacLean (Boston Strangler) and based on an original idea by Ben Affleck, City on a Hill is set in early 1990s Boston when the city was rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies in which corruption and racism was the norm, until it suddenly all changed. The drama is a fictional account of what was called the “Boston Miracle.” Leon plays Reverend Isaiah Hughes, a spiritual adviser and activist with deep roots in his community. MacLean and Tom Fontana, who also serves as showrunner, executive produce with Jennifer Todd, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Michael Cuesta, Barry Levinson, Jorge Zamacona and consulting producer James Mangold. Bacon serves as co-executive producer. The role reunites Leon with Tom Fontana,...
- 12/14/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The producers of Broadway's Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations announced today that they will welcome Hamilton alum Nik Walker and Detroit native Matt Manuel to the musical as Otis Williams and David Ruffin, respectively, beginning Friday, February 28, 2020. Derrick Baskin and Ephraim Sykes, the Tony Award nominated original Temptations actors, will depart the production on Wednesday, February 26, 2020.
- 2/19/2020
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Broadway’s upcoming Michael Jackson musical Mj has announced additional casting, with Grammy nominee Quentin Earl Darrington, Hamilton‘s Raymond Baynard and The Bridges of Madison County‘s Whitney Bashor among those who’ll join the previously announced Ephraim Sykes in the bio-musical opening this summer.
The casting was announced today by Lia Vollack Productions and The Michael Jackson Estate. Preview performances begin Monday, July 6, at the Neil Simon Theatre, with opening night set for Thursday, August 13.
In addition to Darrington (Grammy-nominated for Once On This Island), Bashor and Baynard, Mj‘s newly announced cast includes Gabriel Ruiz, Antoine L. Smith, Joey Sorge, Darius Barnes, Coral Dolphin, John Edwards, Ayana George, Kali May Grinder, Apollo Levine, Ryan VanDenBoom, Lamont Walker II, Naomi C. Walley and Zelig Williams.
Roles for the actors have not yet been disclosed.
Sykes, currently starring as David Ruffin in Broadway’s Temptations musical Ain’t Too Proud,...
The casting was announced today by Lia Vollack Productions and The Michael Jackson Estate. Preview performances begin Monday, July 6, at the Neil Simon Theatre, with opening night set for Thursday, August 13.
In addition to Darrington (Grammy-nominated for Once On This Island), Bashor and Baynard, Mj‘s newly announced cast includes Gabriel Ruiz, Antoine L. Smith, Joey Sorge, Darius Barnes, Coral Dolphin, John Edwards, Ayana George, Kali May Grinder, Apollo Levine, Ryan VanDenBoom, Lamont Walker II, Naomi C. Walley and Zelig Williams.
Roles for the actors have not yet been disclosed.
Sykes, currently starring as David Ruffin in Broadway’s Temptations musical Ain’t Too Proud,...
- 1/7/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
This fall, singer, actor and dancer Ephraim Sykes juggled two of the most demanding jobs on Broadway. By night, he played the troubled, tortured David Ruffin in Ain’t Too Proud, the hit Broadway show about the life and music of the Temptations. But during the day, Sykes began preparing for what should be an even more demanding and controversial job: the lead role as Michael Jackson in a musical based on his life.
The Jackson estate first announced Mj: The Musical, Scheduled to open August 13th, 2020, in 2018 with a...
The Jackson estate first announced Mj: The Musical, Scheduled to open August 13th, 2020, in 2018 with a...
- 12/20/2019
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
A few weeks ago, New Yorkers were treated to an unusual sight: The cast of Ain’t Too Proud, the Broadway musical about the life of the Temptations, riding the subway with a camera crew. The idea was pure promotion — to maintain buzz for the Tony-winning show, which is now up for a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Ephraim Sykes, who plays the volatile and tragic David Ruffin, admits he had a few trepidations about the idea. “At first, none of us were like, ‘Yeah, let’s go sing on the subway!
- 12/20/2019
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Ahmir Thompson, a.k.a. Questlove, has been tapped to direct Black Woodstock, a feature documentary on the historical Harlem Cultural Festival. The film will be the musician’s directorial debut.
“I am truly excited to help bring the passion, the story and the music of the Harlem Cultural Festival to audiences around the world,” Questlove said in a statement. “The performances are extraordinary. I was stunned when I saw the lost footage for the first time. It’s incredible to look at 50 years of history that’s never been told,...
“I am truly excited to help bring the passion, the story and the music of the Harlem Cultural Festival to audiences around the world,” Questlove said in a statement. “The performances are extraordinary. I was stunned when I saw the lost footage for the first time. It’s incredible to look at 50 years of history that’s never been told,...
- 12/2/2019
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Ahmir Thompson, better known as Questlove, is set to make his feature directorial debut on the documentary film “Black Woodstock” about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The film’s producers Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein announced Monday that the film has begun production.
The festival held in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park in 1969 drew 300,000 attendees and was and known locally as the “Black Woodstock,” and yet it received almost no attention from the media in comparison to Woodstock. Even so, the outdoor festival featured performances from luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the Staple Singers, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
The documentary will be derived from 40 hours of never-before-seen footage shot by TV producer Hal Tulchin, who kept the footage in storage for the past 50 years.
Also Read: 'Woodstock' Film Review: Anniversary Doc Takes Boomers...
The festival held in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park in 1969 drew 300,000 attendees and was and known locally as the “Black Woodstock,” and yet it received almost no attention from the media in comparison to Woodstock. Even so, the outdoor festival featured performances from luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the Staple Singers, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
The documentary will be derived from 40 hours of never-before-seen footage shot by TV producer Hal Tulchin, who kept the footage in storage for the past 50 years.
Also Read: 'Woodstock' Film Review: Anniversary Doc Takes Boomers...
- 12/2/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will direct “Black Woodstock,” a feature documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival, Variety has learned.
Held in 1969, the outdoor festival featured performances from some of the leading black musicians of the day — a group of heavy-hitters that includes Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. The festival took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and was intended to celebrate African American culture and politics, as well as to promote black pride and unity.
It unfolded in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park during the same summer that Woodstock captured the attention of the world. Despite drawing over 300,000 people, the Harlem Cultural Festival received virtually no coverage from mainstream media, a staggering omission that Thompson’s film hopes to rectify. “Black Woodstock” will...
Held in 1969, the outdoor festival featured performances from some of the leading black musicians of the day — a group of heavy-hitters that includes Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. The festival took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and was intended to celebrate African American culture and politics, as well as to promote black pride and unity.
It unfolded in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park during the same summer that Woodstock captured the attention of the world. Despite drawing over 300,000 people, the Harlem Cultural Festival received virtually no coverage from mainstream media, a staggering omission that Thompson’s film hopes to rectify. “Black Woodstock” will...
- 12/2/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Broadway has found its Michael Jackson: Tony-nominated Ain’t Too Proud star Ephraim Sykes will take the title role in the upcoming Mj The Musical, producers announced today.
The musical, loaded with classic hits by the later King of Pop, will begin preview performances on Monday, July 6, 2020, at the Neil Simon Theatre, with an opening night set for Thursday, August 13.
The casting announcement was made by producers Lia Vollack and The Michael Jackson Estate. Producers have released a sneak peek teaser video – watch it below.
Sykes is currently on Broadway in another Motown-inspired musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, playing the group’s David Ruffin. He was nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award yesterday for the show’s cast album, along with the rest of the original cast.
“Ephraim Sykes is a bonafide triple threat,” said Wheeldon in a statement, “and dynamic rising star on Broadway.
The musical, loaded with classic hits by the later King of Pop, will begin preview performances on Monday, July 6, 2020, at the Neil Simon Theatre, with an opening night set for Thursday, August 13.
The casting announcement was made by producers Lia Vollack and The Michael Jackson Estate. Producers have released a sneak peek teaser video – watch it below.
Sykes is currently on Broadway in another Motown-inspired musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, playing the group’s David Ruffin. He was nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award yesterday for the show’s cast album, along with the rest of the original cast.
“Ephraim Sykes is a bonafide triple threat,” said Wheeldon in a statement, “and dynamic rising star on Broadway.
- 11/21/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2019 Tony Awards are almost upon us. Before you watch the CBS ceremony hosted by James Corden on June 9, make sure to check out these 11 conversations with Tony nominees. Follow the links below to watch all of our exclusive interviews with these nominated performers.
See Tony Awards predictions slugfest: 3 Experts track hottest races [Video & Audio Podcast]
Derrick Baskin (“Ain’t Too Proud”): Baskin portrays Otis Williams, the founder of The Temptations, in “Ain’t Too Proud.” It’s a role so large that he never leaves the stage. His previous Broadway credits include “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Memphis.” This is Baskin’s first Tony nomination. (Click here to watch the full interview)
Stephanie J. Block (“The Cher Show”): Block transforms herself like never before to emobdy the pop icon Cher. This marks Block’s third Tony nomination, after previously competing for “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Falsettos.
See Tony Awards predictions slugfest: 3 Experts track hottest races [Video & Audio Podcast]
Derrick Baskin (“Ain’t Too Proud”): Baskin portrays Otis Williams, the founder of The Temptations, in “Ain’t Too Proud.” It’s a role so large that he never leaves the stage. His previous Broadway credits include “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Memphis.” This is Baskin’s first Tony nomination. (Click here to watch the full interview)
Stephanie J. Block (“The Cher Show”): Block transforms herself like never before to emobdy the pop icon Cher. This marks Block’s third Tony nomination, after previously competing for “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Falsettos.
- 6/4/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“We have a true love for each other,” reveals Ephraim Sykes of the cast and creative team for “Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations” now on Broadway. The actor portrays legendary tenor David Ruffin in the hit musical and was recently nominated for the Drama League Award for his performance. He praises the “synergy” and “family-like vibe” of the cast as one of the many reasons this project resonates with him. Watch the full exclusive video interview above.
From the very beginning, the pieces were in place for a harmonious experience. Sykes auditioned for the show’s initial production at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2017. Despite being in Los Angeles for pilot season, the actor fell in love with the script. And when he heard past collaborators Sergio Trujillo (choreographer) and Derrick Baskin (Otis Williams) were attached, “it seems like this has to happen.”
SEEDerrick Baskin...
From the very beginning, the pieces were in place for a harmonious experience. Sykes auditioned for the show’s initial production at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2017. Despite being in Los Angeles for pilot season, the actor fell in love with the script. And when he heard past collaborators Sergio Trujillo (choreographer) and Derrick Baskin (Otis Williams) were attached, “it seems like this has to happen.”
SEEDerrick Baskin...
- 4/19/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Motown Records stumbled into the 1980s from the ‘70s, watching its greatest hitmakers return to the charts via other labels — Diana Ross at RCA, Marvin Gaye at Columbia and, of course, Michael Jackson and his brothers at Epic. Its fortunes perked up a bit in 1982 with hits from Lionel Richie and DeBarge, but overall, the label was on a downhill slide from its glory days.
Then came 1983.
That year saw two significant events restore interest in Motown and its peerless catalog (and fatten its bank balance) that would resonate for decades — and would also affect the way film, television and music intersect.
May 1983 saw the debut of NBC’s Emmy-winning “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.” The show was watched by 34 million viewers and introduced Jackson’s moonwalk to the world — cementing his status as the world’s biggest superstar — but it also had a huge impact on the legendary Motown quintet the Temptations.
Then came 1983.
That year saw two significant events restore interest in Motown and its peerless catalog (and fatten its bank balance) that would resonate for decades — and would also affect the way film, television and music intersect.
May 1983 saw the debut of NBC’s Emmy-winning “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.” The show was watched by 34 million viewers and introduced Jackson’s moonwalk to the world — cementing his status as the world’s biggest superstar — but it also had a huge impact on the legendary Motown quintet the Temptations.
- 4/12/2019
- by Phil Gallo
- Variety Film + TV
Derrick Baskin was sick of musicals when Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations arrived in his life. He’d performed on Broadway in Memphis, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Little Mermaid, and was enjoying the change of pace that was Hulu’s Difficult People when his agent came calling with the job that could put Baskin into his first starring role. As Otis Williams, founder of the group that gave the world “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination” and one after another of the greatest songs of the 1960s and ’70s, Baskin would be a first among equals, the singer who first envisioned what The Temptations could and would be.
“I immediately tried to shut him down,” Baskin recalls in this Deadline interview. But the actor had a change of heart, and now finds himself leading what is easily the biggest hit musical of this Broadway season,...
“I immediately tried to shut him down,” Baskin recalls in this Deadline interview. But the actor had a change of heart, and now finds himself leading what is easily the biggest hit musical of this Broadway season,...
- 4/12/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations – which chronicles the epic career of the legendary Motown vocal group – opens up on Broadway this week. It’s a musical based on the 1988 memoir of Temptations founder Otis Williams, the sole living member of the classic lineup. But unlike many Broadway musicals, it makes no attempt to sanitize the more salacious parts of their story.
“Otis can see things in hindsight,” Dominique Morisseau, who adapted the story for the stage, told Rolling Stone. “He can be a little...
“Otis can see things in hindsight,” Dominique Morisseau, who adapted the story for the stage, told Rolling Stone. “He can be a little...
- 3/22/2019
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations is further proof, as if we need it, that the term “jukebox musical” just isn’t fair – to jukeboxes. Feed a juke some cash and it delivers music, free of the blunt exposition that passes for librettos in so many of these stage biographies. Even with source material as glorious as “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” and the song that gives this production its title, the result feels less celebratory than ruthlessly efficient, like the treadmill device that’s forever moving the ever-changing Temptations line-up on, off and around the Imperial Theatre’s stage.
Opening tonight, Ain’t Too Proud mostly accomplishes what so many of the lesser examples of this genre haven’t – a fine cast performs beloved songs, performs them well enough to conjure and honor the people they’re playing and the songs they’re singing,...
Opening tonight, Ain’t Too Proud mostly accomplishes what so many of the lesser examples of this genre haven’t – a fine cast performs beloved songs, performs them well enough to conjure and honor the people they’re playing and the songs they’re singing,...
- 3/22/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The incoming Broadway musical about the enduring music and volatile career of the Temptations features many elements associated with a prestige show. There’s a name director, an award-winning book writer, a cast whose collective resume includes stints in shows like Hamilton and Chicago, and a score overflowing with pop songs that are engrained in the culture.
Then there’s the bong.
The prop, complete with whiffs of artificial smoke, appears during a scene in which the Motown group parties together on the road later in their career. “That’s funny — that’s rock & roll!
Then there’s the bong.
The prop, complete with whiffs of artificial smoke, appears during a scene in which the Motown group parties together on the road later in their career. “That’s funny — that’s rock & roll!
- 3/21/2019
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
The less you know about the Temptations, the more you’ll get out of “Ain’t Too Proud,” a finger-snapping, hand-clapping new jukebox musical passing through Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre en route to Broadway, where it is scheduled to open at the Imperial next spring. This nearly-all-black show’s got a lot going for it, between the sheer quality of the beloved R&B vocal group’s catalog and director Des McAnuff’s experience with such material (including the Four Seasons tuner “Jersey Boys” and “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”), and yet, considering that the Temptations — who are, incredibly enough, still touring — have several SoCal playdates this September, it’s hard to compete with the thrill of seeing the actual group in concert.
Of course, we could debate all day whether today’s Temptations are still the same Temptations that broke through in the ’60s and ’70s with such hits as “My Girl,...
Of course, we could debate all day whether today’s Temptations are still the same Temptations that broke through in the ’60s and ’70s with such hits as “My Girl,...
- 8/26/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
A musical about the great Temptations is headed to Broadway. Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, directed by Des McAnuff and produced by Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce, will begin performances at the Imperial Theatre in spring 2019.
The musical, which follows the classic Motown vocalists – and their signature dance moves – from “the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it became the highest grossing production in that theater’s nearly 50-year history. The musical later broke the single-week box office record at Washington D.C.’s Eisenhower Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to producers.
Producers describe the show as the “story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal,” all playing out against a backdrop of civil unrest and set to Temptations classics like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,...
The musical, which follows the classic Motown vocalists – and their signature dance moves – from “the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it became the highest grossing production in that theater’s nearly 50-year history. The musical later broke the single-week box office record at Washington D.C.’s Eisenhower Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to producers.
Producers describe the show as the “story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal,” all playing out against a backdrop of civil unrest and set to Temptations classics like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,...
- 8/24/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, a new musical about one of R&B’s premier vocal groups, will hit Broadway in Spring 2019. The production will run at the Imperial Theater in New York, New York, producers announced Thursday, although no opening date has been set.
Ain’t Too Proud launched in September 2017 at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley, California, before moving this year to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is currently playing at the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles, California,...
Ain’t Too Proud launched in September 2017 at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley, California, before moving this year to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is currently playing at the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles, California,...
- 8/24/2018
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
“Now are you ready to go back?” a tuxedoed band leader asked the crowd at Staten Island’s St. George Theatre on a rainy night in May. “I’m talking about all the way back … allow me to introduce the one and only vocal group voted number one of all time!”
The next hour was a brisk and blasting tour through the back catalog of the Temptations, one of Motown’s most famous ensembles. The group performed sharply choreographed dances near the front of the stage, spinning and twirling with military precision; behind them,...
The next hour was a brisk and blasting tour through the back catalog of the Temptations, one of Motown’s most famous ensembles. The group performed sharply choreographed dances near the front of the stage, spinning and twirling with military precision; behind them,...
- 8/13/2018
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Dennis Edwards, the lead singer of The Temptations between 1968 and 1984, has died at the age of 74.
CBS News reported on Friday that the singer had died in Chicago, just one day before his 75th birthday.
Born in Alabama and raised in Detroit, Edwards rose to prominence after joining the Temptations as lead singer in 1968, replacing David Ruffin. His initial stint with the Temptations lasted until 1977, during which time they recorded hits “Cloud Nine” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” which earned them Grammys in 1969 and 1973, respectively.
CBS News reported on Friday that the singer had died in Chicago, just one day before his 75th birthday.
Born in Alabama and raised in Detroit, Edwards rose to prominence after joining the Temptations as lead singer in 1968, replacing David Ruffin. His initial stint with the Temptations lasted until 1977, during which time they recorded hits “Cloud Nine” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” which earned them Grammys in 1969 and 1973, respectively.
- 2/2/2018
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Dennis Edwards -- lead singer of the legendary group, The Temptations -- died at the Mercy Hospital in Chicago Thursday night ... TMZ has learned. Edwards sang Grammy-winning songs for the Motown icons like "Papa was a Rollin' Stone" and "Cloud Nine" ... along with hits like "Ball of Confusion" and "I Can't Get Next to You." Although Dennis was on-again, off-again with the group in the late '70s and '80s as the lineup changed frequently.
- 2/2/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
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