Jukebox musical 'Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations' dances smoothly through the years
By
Seth Kubersky
on
January 26, 2022 at 3:54PM
The difference is that while Jersey Boys gave each of its four founders their full due, the Temptations’ ever-changing roster means only a few of its members — chiefly the dynamic Elijah Ahmad Lewis as the egomaniacal David Ruffin — make much impact, and women are essentially invisible, aside than Williams’ long-suffering ex-wife Josephine (Najah Hetsberger). Ain’t Too Proud also attempts to provide insight into the origins of some of the group’s biggest hits as well as some near-misses (the group recorded “War” before Edwin Starr’s famous version, and didn’t want to record “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”), along with historical context about an explosive era in the Civil Rights Movement.
