BY DEBERT COOK, CMP
“Ain’t Too Proud” is an electrifying new musical about the life and times of The Temptations, the greatest R&B group of all time (Billboard Magazine2017) “Ain’t Too Proud” chronicles the rise of these five young guys from the streets of Detroit to stardom, when they were discovered by MOTOWN founder Berry Gordy, who signed them to his legendary new label.
After 24 attempts, the group finally gets a musical hit and the rest is history…how they met, how they rose, the groundbreaking heights they hit, and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the nation fell into civil unrest.
Kennedy Prize-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau, Olivier Award-winning choreographer Sergio Trujillo, and two-time Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff bring you this thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal. Iconic hits like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and the signature dance moves that made the “Classic Five” Temptations part of our cultural history forever.
“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” opening on Tuesday, August 21st at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, plus one 15-minute intermission
Ron Simons, CEO/President of SimonSays Entertainment and Producer of “Ain’t Too Proud”
Simons, CEO of SimonSays Entertainment, recently won his fourth Tony Award for “Best Revivial of a Play” for August Wilson’s “Jitney” making him the most winning African-American Tony Award producer of all time, cementing him as the leading Broadway producer working to bring diversity to the stage.
As CEO/President of SimonSays Entertainment, Ron Simons leads the strategic planning and development of theatre and film projects including the critically acclaimed films NIGHT CATCHES US, GUN HILL HILL ROAD, BLUE CAPRICE, and MOTHER OF GEORGE (all of which premiered at Sundance). His first documentary 25 to Life premiered at the American Black Film Festival where it won Best Documentary.
He produced the Broadway productions of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Tony Award for Best Musical), Porgy & Bess (Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Tony Award for Best Play, Drama Desk, New Drama Critics and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play, Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play), and A Streetcar Named Desire (AEA’s Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award).
This multi-talented creative and businessman began his career as a software engineer at Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Microsoft, and holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and an M.F.A. in acting from the University of Washington. Combining his entertainment experience with an extensive business background, Simons has become a highly sought-after actor, filmmaker, producer and a leading pillar of his community. He is a recipient of the Heritage Award from Columbia College’s Black Alumni Council, 150 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington, and is a Johnson & Johnson Leadership Award Fellow.
