Legacy Motown Showcases Soul Music Icons

IT WAS 67 YEARS AGO WHEN MUSIC PRODUCER BARRY GORDY JUNIOR OPENED UP HITS BILL USA AND BROUGHT THE RHYTHMS OF MOTOWN INTO MAINSTREAM POPULAR MUSIC. THE TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY PERFORMERS WHO PUT DETROIT MUSIC ON THE MAP IS COMING TO FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE LEGACY, MOTOWN IN MORE SHOWCASES ARTISTS LIKE THE JACKSON 5. THE TEMPTATIONS IN STEVIE WONDER WHILE INCORPORATING TIGHT, HARMONIES AND CLASSIC SHOWMANSHIP WGCU ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL GIVES US AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE. >> THERE'S A PARTY GOING ON IN THE GOLDSTEIN CABARET AT FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE CAST MEMBER NIGEL RICHARDS TELLS US HOW THE SHOW LEGACY, MOTOWN AND MORE IS ON. IT SAYS ON THEIR FEET FROM THE JUMP IN MOTOWN IS ENDING ITS MUSIC FROM THE HEART. AND SHE REALLY IT'S MUSIC THAT YOU REALLY FEELS SO. >> FROM THE START OF THE SHOW, WE START THE JACKSON 5 MEDLEY. YOU CAN FEEL THE MUSIC. YOU CAN FEEL THE PULSE. I MEAN, IT'S A PARTY FROM START TO FINISH THE JACKSON 5 MEDLEY IMMEDIATELY HAS PEOPLE CLAPPING AND SINGING ALONG, BUT NOTES CAST MEMBER JUSTIN RENTALS. THE AUDIENCE REALLY COMES ALIVE DURING THE TRIO'S RENDITION OF NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE. >> A DEEPLY EMOTIONAL BALLAD WHICH YOUNG MAN AGONIZE OVER BEING UNABLE >> IS OVER 30 35 SONGS THAT WE SING THROUGHOUT THE SHOW. MOTOWN THEMED AND MORE. BUT I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE SONGS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY IS OUR ACAPELLA MEDLEY. >> I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU GO. >> AND THAT CAN SINK. BUT >> NO. AND THEN THE KIDS SAKE OF ALL. NO, NO, NO, NO. >> YOU CAN HEAR IN THE AUDIENCE, THE EXCITEMENT AND THE AMAZEMENT WHEN WE PULL OFF THOSE 3 PART HARMONIES, YOU HEAR LOTS OF CLOUDS AND AMAZING. AND I MEAN, PEOPLE START CLAPPING EVEN BEFORE WE FINISH OUR FINAL >> THE NAME OF THE SHOW IS LEGACY, MOTOWN AND MORE SINGER BRYCE OF DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE TRIO SEGWAYS FROM THE JACKSON 5 TO THE BEATLES. >> I WOULD SAY BE WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST WE ACTION THAT WE HAVE OUT OF THE AUDIENCE. AND THE SECOND WE DO THAT AND BECAUSE WE DO IT SO EARLY, CAN WE DO THAT? IT'S LIKE, OKAY. WELL, THE REST OF THE SHOW'S HISTORY LIKE WE GOT ON THE ALL THE SHOW ALSO INCLUDES A TRIP BACK TO A TIME BEFORE BERRY GORDY JUNIOR FOUNDED MOTOWN RECORDS. WE TAKE THEM BACK TO THE DOO-WOP ERA. >> WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STANDING UNDER A STREET LAMP IN YOUR TO SINGING WITH THE VOICES AND THEY REALLY ENJOY THAT SEGMENT. 4 TOPS MEDLEY WITH SUGAR PIE HONEY BUNCH. IT'S ANOTHER CROWD FAVORITE. >> AS IS THEIR ACAPELLA RENDITION OF THE 5 SATURN'S IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT. A SONG ABOUT HOPING TO REUNITE WITH A FORMER SHARE. >> IN THE STANDS, AND I FOR NIGEL RICHARDS. >> THE SEGMENT DEVOTED TO STEVIE WONDER IS A PERSONAL FAVORITE TV WONDERS THE KING OF BALANCE AND IT'S FUN TO SING AS WELL. SO I STARTED OFFICER DAN AND THEN WE GOT TO SUPERSTITION AND I SURE AM. >> WE ALL WHAT IS THIS SOME DAY? SHE'S NOT THE SUM OF THE DAY SHOULD, OF COURSE KNOWS. PRICE OF I CAN'T PUT ON A SHOW ABOUT MOTOWN WITHOUT FEATURING MARVIN. GET. >> EVEN OR IN THE 90'S. I FEEL LIKE MY SOUL WAS BORN BY 2030, YEARS EARLIER. AND SO I JUST LOVE. HOW IS THIS? WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE THIS MUSIC THAT IS A RELAY DOUBLE TO EVERYBODY AND JUST CONTINUE TO SHARE THE JOY THAT THE MUSIC HAS CREATED. SHE'D LIKE TO SEE MOTOWN AND MORE IS LIKE FEW OTHER CABARET EXPERIENCE. YOU ARE FREE TO SAYING YOU ARE FREE TO DANCE. YOU ARE. >> WE NEED TO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. THE SHOW IS A CELEBRATION. IT'S JOY. IT'S BRINGING BACK WHEN PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THEIR FULL HEART ON MUSIC. NO MATTER WHAT THEY WERE PUTTING OUT. >> LEGACY, MOTOWN AND MORE IS ON STAGE OF FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE THROUGH OCTOBER 11. >> TOM, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU LEARNED DURING YOUR INTERVIEWS FOR THIS SEGMENT THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTING? JENNIFER. I REALLY DID. >> BEFORE HE JOINED THE CAST OF MOTOWN AND MORE. JUSTIN REYNOLDS PORTRAYED SMOKEY ROBINSON AND 2 OTHER SHOWS THE NATIONAL TOUR OF MOTOWN, THE MUSICAL AND THE MARVIN GAYE MUSICAL. WHEN HE WAS IN THOSE SHOWS, REYNOLDS GOT TO WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH BERRY GORDY JUNIOR. HE'S THE ONE WHO FOUNDED THE MOTOWN LABEL IN 1959. MOTOWN RECORDS PROPEL GROUPS LIKE THE SUPREMES, THE JACKSON 5, STEVIE WONDER, MARVIN GAYE TO THE TOP OF THE BILLBOARD 100 CHART AND IT BECAME THE LARGEST BLACK OWNED COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE 1960'S, REYNOLDS HAS SHARED WHAT HE LEARNED FROM GORDY ABOUT THE MOTOWN SOUND AND TOP TALENT WITH HIS CAST MATES WHICH REALLY ENHANCES THEIR PERFORMANCES. >> WELL, AS ALWAYS, TOM HALL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY AND SHARING THIS. >> GREAT STORY AS ALWAYS. IT'S A PLEASURE TO THEY ARE