Watching live theater is now becoming my new favorite thing to do

Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the show “Motown” at the INB Performing Arts Center which is a part of the “Best of Broadway” series.

Little fun fact for those students out there, if you show up two hours before the show time with your student ID, you get a major discount on tickets. I was able to score great seats for literally a third of the price.

Going into the show, I didn’t really know much about it, other than I knew it would have some great music. I was right about the musical appeal, but I was amazed by how much history there was intertwined with it all too.

While watching the show, you learned about the history of the Motown music label with Berry Gordy. Then a variety of musical acts would show up trying to impress Gordy to sign them on the label. Those people included Stevie Wonder, the Commodores, the Temptations, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and The Jackson 5, just to name a few.

I thought the most incredible part was when The Jackson 5 music was showcased, with the little boy on stage singing and dancing flawlessly. I then realized that’s how people must have felt with the real Michael Jackson back in the day.

It eventually turned into the Diana Ross show when she separated herself from the Supremes and became involved with Gordy.

The performance showed the struggles with the record label and how everyone would end up leaving for a bigger and better price tag somewhere else. I thought it was interesting to see how Gordy would take a chance on everyone coming through, but they would end up leaving anyways.

The end of the show had all the musical acts come together to sing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (the song is even better in the movie “Remember the Titans”) for a reunion on a television show. But the most interesting part was that it showed the real event on a screen after the performance so you could compare. It was impressive how everybody’s outfits looked exactly the same and the whole thing was just spot on.

This was my second show so far in the “Best of Broadway” series as I also saw “Rent” back in December. After attending these shows, I just realize how much I really do enjoy watching live theater and how I think everybody should give it a chance if they can.

Another great show that is in the movie theaters right now is “The Greatest Showman.” This movie is about the history of P.T. Barnum and how he came up with the idea of the circus. I kept hearing the hype about this movie, so I decided to go along with the crowd and go watch it.

After seeing it, I was so thankful of the hype because I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was.

I highly recommend this movie as I usually never go see movies more than once in theaters, but I have gone to see this movie three times now and I would go again. I can only hope that it will go on Broadway soon so I can see it come to life.

Even the soundtrack to the cinema is one worth listening to. I am also not usually one to download the music from a movie, but now I have found myself listening to “The Greatest Showman” more often than not.

But overall, “Motown” was great and the next one up I plan on going to see is “Dirty Dancing” in April. I have realized by watching all these shows that the live theater is worth every penny because you get priceless memories.

I have always gone to concerts, but now I might have to take up broadway shows more often. And we are fortunate enough to live in an area that really supports the live arts.

Plus, you really cannot beat those student discount prices.

Grace Pohl can be reached at grace@cheneyfreepress.com.