Backstage with Michael Andreaus of 'Ain't Too Proud'

When I, and many others who came up after 1989, think of the Temptations, we often think of one famous quip: “Ain’t nobody comin’ to see you, Otis!” Well, I actually got to speak with Michael Andreaus, who plays Otis in the production of Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations that’s coming to Austin and I’m glad I did.

I’d be hard pressed to believe anyone could be unfamiliar with the Temptations, but to give context, Ain’t Too Proud follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from how they met in the streets of Detroit, to the groundbreaking heights they hit, to how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the United States fell into civil unrest, and all the way to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal is set to the beat of some of the group’s biggest hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and many more.  

Michael Andreaus. Courtesy photo

Andreaus takes on a large part in the show, and he’s well aware of how big this show is to so many people. He was in good spirits when I spoke with him.

“It's such a beast of a role,” he exclaimed with a laugh. “Not only are you one of the Temptations, one of the original Temptations, he's the last surviving of all the original Temptations. So not only do you have to do all the singing and the dancing and the songs, but you're also the narrator of the show because the show is essentially your memory of how everything was put together and how they reached the heights that they did. You're the one that's telling the story of this group as well as being in the story, so it's a lot.”

One of the unique challenges he faces with this role is simply the fact that he’s playing a real person. Unlike many notable names in the world of musical theatre — the Phantom, Jean Valjean, Mark Cohen, etc — Otis Williams is a real human being. That means people knew him then, know him now, and can immediately compare the portrayal to the person. Thankfully, that weight doesn’t slow Andreaus down.

“A lot of times in theater, you get to play fictional characters, so there's a kind of freedom that comes from that, that you can do whatever your interpretation of the character is,” he explained. “But when you're playing real people who live real lives — who are still living, in my case — there's a responsibility to be true to that, to be true to who that character is, who that person is. There's a lot of weight that comes with playing a role like this in this show.”

This production doesn’t pull any punches in bearing that weight on the stage, and that’s one of the things that Andreaus hopes audiences will appreciate in the show just as much as he does.

(L – R)- Marcus Paul James, Jalen Harris, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Harrell Holmes Jr., James T. Lane from the National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud. Photo by Emilio Madrid.

“Dominique Morisseau, who wrote the book for this and so many great things, didn't shy away from the truth,” he stated. “I think it would've been really easy with a show like this, and I think that probably the image that a lot of people conjure when they think of a show about The Temptations is ‘it's just gonna have a bunch of good songs. It's just gonna have a lot of good music and it's gonna feel good the whole time, and then you’re gonna leave, bouncing out of the theater, happy.’”

“But she chose to really dive into some of the struggle,” he continued. “These were five Black men who grew up in the Civil Rights Era, who had to tour through the south. There were some dangers that accompanied that — touring through the south during that time — and we touch on that. There were times when the group wanted to speak certain truths in their music, as far as against the war and against the way Black people were treated during this time, and they weren't always allowed to do that. But when they could — when they were able to use their voice — they did. I think I'm really grateful to be a part of a story that doesn't shy away from some of the unpleasantness that the group had to deal with, externally as well as internally. Some of the group dealt with drug abuse and alcoholism and there was some domestic violence — all of that is not glossed over in this show. It recognizes all of the bad that had to happen so that they could be the group that they eventually became. That's actually one of the central themes of the show — was it worth it? In asking the audience, was all of the things that we went through worth, the level that we eventually attained — we don't really answer that question for you. We just kind of pose it and put the evidence in front of you and let you decide for yourselves whether that was worth it or not.”

While audiences may leave the theatre reflecting on the cost of fame, Andreaus had to weigh whether or not there was ever space for him before he entered the world of theatre. Fortunately for him, and us, he was able to find courage through representation. Because seeing people that look like you in creative spaces matters for kids and adults alike.

(L – R)  - Traci Elaine Lee, Deri’Andra Tucker, Shayla Brielle G. from the National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud. Photo by Emilio Madrid.

“It took me a while to even come to the theater industry because I didn't necessarily see that there was a place for me in it,” Andreaus explained. “It really wasn't until I saw the movie ‘Dreamgirls,’ with Eddie Murphy and Beyonce, and Jennifer Hudson, and saw us on the big screen in a musical telling that story that I really looked and said, ‘oh, I can do this too.’ Even in just getting into the business of musical theater and theater in general, I didn't necessarily see myself represented in a way that made me think that there was a place for me. And that's why I'm really, really grateful to be a part of this show. Because maybe there's somebody who will see me up there — see us up there — in a predominantly black cast, and realize that there is a place for them in this industry, in this business, and maybe realize that sooner than I did, and can take advantage of that.”

The story of the Temptations has long been a part of the culture. Many people got their first look into the life behind the legends back in 1998, when we got ‘The Temptations,’ a 2-part miniseries. Nearly 20 years later, audiences were met with Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California in 2017. Fast-forward to the present, and Andreaus is glad to see how far the Temptations legacy has come.

“I'm a little biased, but I do believe it was a great show before I was ever in it,” he admitted. “I saw it two or three times before I ever even auditioned for it. I loved the show even before I was a part of it. I do believe it's one of the greater shows in musical theater right now, and I'm really excited to be a part of it.”

National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud. Photo by Emilio Madrid.

Now that he’s found his calling, Andreaus is loving the journey. With each night on stage being filled with singing, dancing, and acting, it’s difficult to pinpoint a single highlight from the show, but Andreaus shared a couple of his personal favorites with me.

“Oh my gosh, it seems to change every night,” he said with a laugh. “The most consistent one, Jalen Harris sings ‘Just My Imagination.’ He's the one that plays Eddie Kendricks, and man, the notes that he hits in this song — absolutely. If I wasn't in the show having to keep myself doing the choreography, I would stop and throw my shoe at him every single night! He's incredible to work with. Also, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, when he sings “I Wish It Would Rain” as David Ruffin. Those two are probably the two songs every night that just get to me.”

Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations will be at Bass Concert Hall March 28 – April 2, 2023 as part of the Texas Performing Arts Broadway in Austin series. Tickets start at $30 and are available at texasperformingarts.org and BroadwayinAustin.com.