Review: Motown the Musical

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Motown the Musical.
Motown has been at the top of my list to see for so long now and yesterday I finally was able to see it! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! This is the best new musical in the West End since Kinky Boots (which I saw last August) and I'm so happy that the show has transferred from the 'Great White Way'. It is just what the West End needed! 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 so many more. Featuring all the classics, it tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack that changed America. I had so much fun at this show and by the end all the audience were up on their feet dancing! It would be impossible to not have fun while watching the show. The Shaftesbury Theatre had such a great atmosphere, you could tell everyone in the audience was really loving it! The show features just under 50 songs (that must be some sort of record?) and each completely WOW's. Cast members who stood out were Cedric Neal as Berry Gordy, Lucy St Louis as Diana Ross, Charl Brown as Smokey Robinson, Sifiso Mazibuko as Marvin Gaye and Bradley Morton as Young Michael Jackson. Motown is far before my era, but according to my Mum (who is a big fan of the genre) they sounded just like the original artists. Thought the lighting was absolutely excellent and I wouldn't be surprised if it won the Olivier Award for it. The costumes were well designed and the choreography is stunning. I found the origins of Motown to be really fascinating and it was so interesting how Berry Gordy went from lightweight boxer to the founder of a new genre of music, whilst helping to end the fight against racism. The highlight of the show for me was 'Can I Close the Door',  beautifully sung by Cedric Neal.

The featured star of Motown the Musical is, drum roll please... CEDRIC NEAL!

Cedric put so much emotion into his performance as Berry Gody, this was perfect casting. His facial expressions were perfect, he had great comic timing and a voice that stunned the whole audience!

Now for my final verdict on Motown the Musical. I give Motown the Musical...

Motown is the best jukebox musical I have ever seen and is currently one of the best shows in the West End.  Motown is currently booking until October next year, so whether you see it now, or a year from now, this is not one to be missed!

Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer