By Eelisa Jones
Julius Thomas III as Berry Gordy – Motown the Musical First National Tour (C) Joan Marcus, 2015
Motown the Musical will arrive at Milwaukee’s Marcus Center on July 7.
The musical centers its more than 40 Motown hits on the life story of Berry Gordy – an American songwriter, producer, and founder of the Motown record label in 1959.
Motown played an integral role in breaking down the barriers of racial segregation and discrimination both within and without the music industry.
Appropriately, Motown the Musical’s July arrival comes on the heels of several incidents that have added to simmering racial tensions across the U.S., most notably the murder of nine African-American men and women in Charleston, SC at the hands of a Caucasian domestic terrorist.
The musical features songs from artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, and The Temptations.
The Marcus Center has scheduled performances from July 7 to July 12.
Tickets are available from marcuscenter.org or from the Marcus Center Box Office at (414) 273- 7206. Ticket prices currently range from $25 to $135.
Check out next week’s paper for a review of the performance.