The magic of Motown comes to Fife

Seen by over a million people, it’s no surprise that the show – which is coming to the Alhambra Theatre in Dunfermline this Saturday (June 2) – is one of the biggest success stories in British theatre history, even performing for Her Majesty the Queen, as special guests at the Royal Variety Performance two years ago.

Audiences should be prepared for 40 back-to-back classic Motown hits, glittering costume changes, dazzling dance moves and outstanding musicianship in this spectacular concert experience.

The show celebrates the sound of a generation as the timeless music of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and more, are sensationally recreated by an exceptionally talented cast and band.

The concert takes you on a musical journey through all your favourite songs, including: Ain’t No Mountain, Signed Sealed Delivered, Grapevine, Get Ready, Dancing In The Streets, My Girl, Blame It On The Boogie, Uptight, Endless Love, My Cherie Amor, All Night Long, Heatwave and many more.

Audiences are guaranteed an evening of fantastic music as they listen to the sounds of the Motown era which produced some of the biggest solo singers and groups who went on to have hugely successful careers.

American Andre Lejaune, lead singer and show creator, revealed what Fife audiences can expect.

“You come to have a party at the show as it has the biggest hits from the artists in Motown,” he said. “Hopefully we will capture people’s hearts with music from the greatest Motown hits from major artists like The Temptations, The Four Tops, the Jackson Five, Diana Ross.

“We celebrate the excitement of the Motown era and we want people to come into the show ready to enjoy themselves. “The songs themselves tell the story.”

Andre said that he created the Magic of Motown show 12 years ago and since then it has gone from strength to strength.

He explained how it all began: “It started out as a Four Tops show in Gran Canaria,” he said.

“People were saying to me you need to come to England because people there love Motown. So I came here but when I first came here with the people from the show there were problems. I was homeless. A guy brought us over, dropped us off and then left us!

“So I started doing solo shows. I met this guy from an international music agency and he gave me £3000 in advance and he started putting us around holiday camps like Butlins and Pontins. This helped us to get back on our feet. “The next thing that happened is we started doing regular Motown shows and I put together a proper Motown show. We got the girls, the guys and sorted out the choreography it was good!

“After that we did a Four Tops Show and we were working every day and it really trained us how to be on stage on a regular basis.”

Now that the Magic of Motown has become established, does Andre keep the same format each year or does he change the songs he includes?

He said: “There are a lot of songs from Motown and we can’t fit them all into one show! Doing the holiday camps every year we had to change it.

“There are so many big hits – we can’t do them all so we have to change them along with the choreography and the outfits.

“We have to keep the show fresh.”

Andre said there are a couple of songs he really enjoys performing: “My favourite song is Dancing on the Ceiling and I also love singing Needle in a Haystack (by The Velvelettes). But the songs that the audiences love hearing are: Get Ready by the Temptations, My Girl, Reach Out, I’ll Be There, Heard It Through The Grapevine, as well as Dancing on the Ceiling.

“We have a Jackson Five section in the show as well as sections for the Four Tops, the Temptations and Diana Ross. Every year we get stronger and stronger and every year we are getting more people coming to see us.

“I am so grateful for this and for the fact that we are getting better and better every year. It’s a blessing.”

But what does he think of audiences north of the border?

“Scottish audiences are the best. We get a much better reception when coming to Scotland. The people come along to enjoy themselves and it is electrifying. They love it!

“I have been to Fife, although it was a few years ago. I really enjoy performing there and I am looking forward to going back.”

Andre said the Motown era was so special in terms of the music produced that songs today just don’t compare.

“There is no competition,” he explained. “You can hear hits today and they are gone tomorrow – whereas, the Motown hits go on.

“They don’t make them like they used to. People try to duplicate and replicate hits from Motown and they can’t.

“The artists Berry Gordy (Motown’s hit-making songwriter) had produced some great music.

“Motown music was just awesome. You put artists like The Temptations and The Four Tops with great voices on top of amazing music and you have some incredible hits.”

He added: “When you hear a Motown song you start tapping your feet and that’s the feeling we want the audience to have when we perform.”

>> For tickets to the Magic of Motown on June 2 visit: www.alhambradunfermline.com.