In the late 1950s, Motown Records was nestled between a beauty shop and a funeral home on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit.
Founded by one-time boxer and factory-worker, Berry Gordy Jr., the one-time residence known as ‘Hitsville USA’ was the catalyst responsible for discovering and nurturing talents that spawned era-defining classics and unforgettable stage and screen performances. The label changed the course of musical history and catapulted artists like Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, to global recognition and superstardom.

After many memoirs and hit mini-series about the legendary label (The Jacksons: An American Dream and The Temptations), Motown The Musical debuted on Broadway in 2013 and earned four Tony Award nominations. The musical based on Berry Gordy’s memoir To Be Loved will make its Dallas debut at the Winspear Opera House on July 28. Two of Motown’s performers, Jarran Muse (Marvin Gaye) and Jesse Nager (Smokey Robinson), spoke recently by phone from Los Angeles about portraying the icons, the cultural significance of “The Motown Sound” and what they hope Dallas’ audiences take away once the final curtain drops.

It must be an incredible feeling to portray such huge superstars as Mr. Gaye and Smokey Robinson. How did two understudies secure those roles?

MUSE- “After the first run of the play, Mr. Gordy saw what I did and told me that I had ‘the essence of Marvin Gaye.’ He said, ‘you look like him, you sound like him and I see him in your eyes. You’re Marvin!’ I was at the mercy of whatever vidoes were on YouTue, but my biggest source of information and was Mr. Gordy himself. That was his brother-in-law and they were very, very close.”

NAGER- “I played as part of the Temptations when we opened in NY, and when we started as a touring show, the director (Charles Randolph-Wright) offered the role to me. Mr. Robinson met with the cast here in L.A. and calls me ‘Little Smokey’ now (laughs).”

Motown the Musical
JULIUS THOMAS III (Berry Gordy)
ALLISON SEMMES (Diana Ross)
JESSE NAGER (Smokey Robinson)

What are your favorite songs to perform in-character as Gaye and Robinson?

MUSE- “My favorite songs from the play are ‘What’s Going On,’ ‘Heard It Through the Grapevine’ and ‘Stubborn Kind Of Fellow,’ that’s another one I like to sing. He was one of Motown’s truest artists, and if you wanted to know how he was feeling, listen to his records because he sang what he felt and didn’t hold anything back. His music was just timeless: ‘What’s Going On’ came out around 1971, and we’re still, sadly, dealing with the same issues now in 2015.”

NAGER- “I sing some of the earlier songs like ‘Got a Job,’ ‘Shop Around,’ You Really Got a Hold On Me’ and a little snippet of ‘Cruisin’ in the second act. That’s the number that could lead to making some bad choices, but ‘Hold’ occurs as the Motown Revue is performing for the first time before a non-segregated audience, so that’s a really interesting time in the show.”

How important is the ‘Motown Sound’ in you lives aside from the musical roles?

MUSE- “Motown is definitely a part of the fabric that’s woven into America, that is such a true statement. It was very much a part of my upbringing and if you were born in America, you heard Motown your entire life in the elevator, at the doctor’s office, while you’re waiting on hold during a call. It something you grow up with.”

NAGER- “Motown’s impact on music can be seen in the longevity of its artists. Mr. Gordy set up a ‘charm school’ school with singing and dancing lessons, taught the artists how to speak and interact with their fans. It was like Motown was a factory that molded them and helped them best present themselves to the world.”

What do you hope Dallas’ audiences take away after watching Motown The Musical and your portrayals of such legends?

MUSE- “The show is about the music, but it’s also about Berry Gordy, Diana Ross and the love story that many of them may not know much about. I want people to just get into the story,enjoy themselves and have an open mind and heart.”

NAGER- “Motown was, and still is, a big giant family. It’s like you got those cousins that are really annoyng and an Uncle you rarely want to see, but even at its most chaotic and dysfunctional, there is a love there between Berry, Smokey, Diana and all of the artists that will never go away.”

To purchase tickets or learn more about the musical, click here.