‘Forever Motown’ recreates classic hits this Friday at BCPA | To go!

BLOOMINGTON – Are you late?
Better catch up on what’s happening Friday at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. That’s when it’s time to reunite for “Forever Motown,” a musical revue of soul classics from Marvin Gaye and Tammie Terrell, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Temptations and more.
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Listen to this sensational experience and you will leave with “head in the air” like Smokey Robinson. Contact us, and The Four Tops will be there with you too.
Andrew Wegrzynski, marketing associate for the City of Bloomington’s Department of Cultural Arts, said they know Bloomington-Normal loves Motown and soul music. He notes that Friday’s event will be their second BCPA soul review of the season, and will follow “Masters of Soul” starting Dec. 8.
“These shows in particular give off a lot of good feelings,” he said. “Everyone gets up and dances. Everyone sings and dances too.”
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The musical revue “Forever Motown” performs in 2019 at the Westchester Broadway Theater in ElmsfordNew York.
Provided by BCPA
Wegrzynski said “Forever Motown” is a tribute to the sounds made famous by Berry Gordy’s Motown label in Detroit, dubbed “Hitsville USA”, complete with a backing band and dance routines. He said the audience can interact with the performers and the crowds keep coming back for these shows.
Coming to Bloomington on Friday are big names in the theater scene, Wegrznski said. There’s music director Gary Kupper, who wrote the “Freckleface Strawberry” books; Tony Award-winning costume designer Evie Ross; and choreography directed by Terri Giordano with American Dance Theatre.
Wegrzynski said Friday’s production is touring outside New York to take guests back to the very sights and sounds of a Motown show at the pinnacle of the genre, pairing the nuances of the music with fluid movement and stunning costumes.
Motown’s timelessness is underscored by its enduring influences heard in contemporary music to this day. Wegrzynski notes that Kendrick Lamar, Daft Punk and Run the Jewels all still cut samples of classic Motown sounds. Additionally, Hollywood blockbusters like “Guardians of the Galaxy” include Motown in their soundtracks.
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For Wegrzynski, and probably for many other music fans, Gaye’s 1971 hit album “What’s Going On” is an all-time best. Can’t recommend it enough.
The singers portray Marvin Gaye and Tammie Terrell in a 2019 “Forever Motown” show at the Westchester Broadway Theater in Elmsford, New York.
Provided by BCPA
He said the album’s catchy and thrilling music was rooted in themes of civil rights, environmentalism and economic disenfranchisement. And these themes are still relevant today.
Wegrzynski said that when the world changed, Motown changed with it: Stevie Wonder went from singing about the birth of his children to intercity struggles, with stunning lyrics tied to a sound that was simply distinctive.
He also said the artists do it all because they love the Motown show and music.
“I can’t try that hard without having some love for it,” he said. “There are so many things that go into this work that the passion comes through.”
Wegrzynski said that as “Forever Motown” wraps up the spring season of events at the BCPA, they are working to make the next one just as exciting.
“Our mission for us is to create an environment where all forms of artistic expression are valued, encouraged and seen as contributing to the quality of life in our community,” he said.
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Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison