Lucky us; we were visiting Cleveland and were able to order tickets to opening night of Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. It ranks as one of the best shows I've seen in 50+ years of live theater including Broadway and London stages. The book is tight, the staging is glorious, the band and music are superb. And then there are the performers--athletes really--who sing and dance their way through 2 1/2 hours of action. I don't think a better cast could be found. Besides the group's personal and professional highs and lows is the sobering backdrop of prejudice, segregation, and the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. I left with music in my heart and the question of the cost of success in my mind.
A word about the theater: It's beautifully restored and all of the staff welcomed us and gracefully moved the crowd along. We sat in seats 512-513 (door 8 aisle J, a short row of three seats upstairs). Our sight line was excellent and we easily heard every line. The seats were comfortable too. I must say a word about the ladies bathroom--best ever! There are lots of stalls and sinks, an entrance and exit door on each side of the bathroom, a hall to stand in, and two of the fabulous red-coat ushers stood inside the room and directed us to enter a stall as soon as someone emerged. It may not sound like much, but it was the icing on the cake!