Maple Heights native proud to cover iconic roles in ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ national tour
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
For those who don't think swings are on stage much, think again.
Maple Heights native Antwaun Holley, who covers five different roles in the first national tour of "Ain't Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations," is on stage for at least half of the tour's eight performances each week.
Holley, a 2012 musical theater graduate from Baldwin Wallace University, is excited to come home to Northeast Ohio for friends and family to see him performing at Playhouse Square in this jukebox musical, which follows the rise of the Temptations from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
More: Hot shows from 'Hadestown' to 'Six' part of seven-show Playhouse Square lineup for '22-'23
In this show, the 32-year-old covers the roles of two of the classic five Temptations — Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin — as well as Motown record producer Berry Gordy, songwriter Smokey Robinson and Williams' son Lamont.
"It keeps it interesting to be able to switch out the parts. It never gets stale for me," Holley said.
He's also happy to reunite with production company Work Light Productions, which gave him his first job out of college in 2012, in the tour of "American Idiot."
"They gave me my start so it's kinda cool to be back with them some 10 years later," said Holley, who toured with the Green Day musical until 2015.
That work led to plenty more, including the national and international tours of "Book of Mormon," which brought him to Australia as a swing and dance captain for about three years, until 2019.
Getting his start
Two teachers at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights were instrumental in getting Holley into musical theater: Jason Falkofsky and Elizabeth Presley. Holley said he followed one of his best friends into rehearsal for "Grease" as a freshman and ended up watching every rehearsal from that day on.
The directors said Holley should go out for the next year's musical as a sophomore, "Beauty and the Beast," and Holley made the ensemble. He then branched out to doing "West Side Story" with Falkofsky at Olmsted Performing Arts and the rest is history.
"That's what really made me fall in love with this craft," Holley said by phone June 30 form the tour in Minneapolis. "That's when I first saw the seriousness of theater and how it could affect people."
All things circle back to Cleveland, where "Ain't Too Proud" runs through July 31: Ten years ago when Holley was studying at Baldwin Wallace, he met casting director Merri Sugarman from Tara Rubin Casting at school, who a decade later cast him in the tour of "Ain't Too Proud."
The first national tour, whose launch was delayed more than a year by COVID-19, kicked off in December in Durham, North Carolina. The Tony Award-winning musical opened on Broadway in 2019 and had its final performance in January.
Several months before the pandemic, Holley ruptured his Achilles tendon. He had surgery in Australia and came back to the United States in November 2019 to heal.
"For some people, it was detrimental, but for me, it was really nice to have the time to actually heal," said Holley, who's now based in Los Angeles.
Meeting Otis Williams
He and the male members of the tour got to have lunch with the great Otis Williams, who still sings with the Temptations at age 80, during the tour's rehearsal process.
"He came and gave us a bit of insight into the story so we'd get some depth," Holley said.
Holley grew up hearing the Temptations' Christmas standard "Silent Night" and more at his home in Maple Heights.
"I actually didn't know how much Temptations I know," Holley said.
The performer appreciates the questions in the musical that deal with race, the cost of success and the sacrifices that artists make. In Holley's life, touring for 10 years has come at a cost as far as being able to spend time with friends and family.
"It's like art is meeting my life right now and that's really cool when that happens," he said.
The actor has learned a lot about founder Otis Williams' persistence: "Otis was extremely determined and we find out he was the backbone of this group."
More: Flair, energy, stellar music come through in 'Motown the Musical'
Holley goes on stage most often as Berry Gordy, Melvin Franklin and Smokey Robinson. He's learned about half of the Otis Williams role, which will be the fifth role for which he'll go on stage.
When Holley met the legendary Williams, he asked him: "How do you keep the joy going?"
"And his answer was, 'You have to love the craft. .... You are the Temptations now.' "
Holley said it's a privilege and an honor to portray the Temptations.
"To the fans, we are the Temptations, you know, for that 2½ hours," Holley said. "We're carrying on that legacy."
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
Musical: "Ain't Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations"
Where: State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Playhouse Square, Cleveland
When: Continuing through July 31, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays
Cost: $29-$129
Information: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Maple Heights native carries Temptations legacy in ‘Ain’t Too Proud’
