Motown Will Kick Off New National Tour with Chester Gregory and More | Playbill

News Motown Will Kick Off New National Tour with Chester Gregory and More The new tour will launch in January.
Chester Gregory and Allison Semmes Monica Simoes
Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris, and Motown Founder Berry Gordy announced December 14 the complete cast for the new national tour of Motown The Musical, which will launch January 11, 2017, at the Stanley Theatre in Utica, NY.

Reprising their roles for this new tour are Chester Gregory as Berry Gordy, Allison Semmes as Diana Ross, and Jarran Muse as Marvin Gaye. The production also stars David Kaverman as Smokey Robinson, with CJ Wright and Raymond Davis Jr. portraying Berry Gordy's boyhood counterpart and the roles of young stars Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

The company will also feature Michelle Alves, Malcolm Armwood, Erick Buckley, Darilyn Castillo, Judith Franklin, Jeremy Gaston, Alyssa V. Gomez, Garfield Hammonds, Rod Harrelson, Jared Howelton, Louis James Jackson, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Ramone Owens, Devin Price, Alana Randall, Tavia Riveè, Matthew Sims Jr., Kimberly Ann Steele, Doug Storm, Daniel Robert Sullivan, Gabriella Whiting, Galen J. Williams, and Ricardo A. Zayas.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, Motown The Musical, according to production notes, is the “true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy's 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.” The production features more than 50 classic hits, such as "My Girl" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," among many others.

The musical also has staging by Schele Williams, choreography by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams, scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Tony Award nominee ESosa, lighting design by Tony Award winner Natasha Katz, sound design by Tony Award nominee Peter Hylenski, projection design by Daniel Brodie, hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe, casting by Wojcik | Seay Casting, arrangements and orchestrations by Grammy and Tony Award nominee Ethan Popp, who also serves as music supervisor in reproducing the classic "Sound of Young America," with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award nominee Bryan Crook, and dance arrangements by Zane Mark.



Click here for the complete tour itinerary.

Motown debuted on Broadway April 14, 2013, playing through January 18, 2015, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. The musical made a short-lived return to Broadway July 12-31, 2016, at the Nederlander Theatre.

Motown is produced by Tony winner Kevin McCollum, Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Entertainment Doug Morris, and Motown Founder Berry Gordy, in association with Work Light Productions.

LOVE THEATRE? CHECK OUT PLAYBILL STORE FOR MERCHANDISE!

 
Recommended Reading:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!