When Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations makes its Muny debut next week, two actors who have lived inside the Temptations’ story will help introduce the musical. Jawan M. Jackson and Nick Rashad Burroughs arrive at The Muny carrying personal histories, regional ties and a shared commitment to honoring the men behind one of the most influential groups in American music.
For Jackson, stepping back into the role of Melvin Franklin is both familiar and deeply personal. He originated the role on Broadway and has played it in nearly every major iteration of the show. He is also a touring member of the current iteration of the group, which still includes original member Otis Williams. Bringing his Melvin to The Muny marks a milestone.
“Melvin is a part of me,” Jackson said. “Every time I get to pay homage to him, it’s a privilege. And introducing him to a new generation — people who know the songs but not the men — that’s always an honor.”
Jackson grew up in Detroit, the birthplace of Motown and the city Franklin represented around the world. Growing up with a deep voice meant there were few artists he could look to for representation. Melvin Franklin was one of them. That connection shaped his understanding of the role long before he ever stepped onstage.
“One thing about a Detroiter is that we’re going to represent anywhere we go,” he said. “I take Detroit with me in everything I do.”
His long relationship with the role and new connection to the actual group has now become part of Temptations history. “When I first started the show, they said there were 24 Temptations,” Jackson said. “Now they’ve had to change the number to 27 — and I’m the 27th member.”
Although Ain’t Too Proud has played in St. Louis before, this is the first time the production will appear on The Muny stage. Jackson said the moment feels significant. “The Muny is iconic,” he said. “And it’s my first time performing there. I feel like it’s going to be electric.”
The production also stars James T. Lane, Elijah Ahmad Lewis and Daniel Yearwood.
Jackson said the re-imagined staging will give audiences a fresh experience. “It’s going to be told in a way it hasn’t been told since Broadway,” he said of the production that is directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge.
Portraying Melvin Franklin is more than a performance for Jackson — it is a responsibility tied to the legacy of Motown and the representation it offered Black audiences during the civil rights era. “Motown artists were ambassadors for Blackness,” he said. “For how we saw ourselves, not as stereotypes.” He said that standard guides him daily. “Somebody is looking at me the same way I looked at them. I have to be an excellent role model, father, uncle, brother — all of it.”
Jackson hopes audiences walk away with a deeper understanding of the men behind the Temptations’ catalog. He shared stories about Franklin’s health challenges and the lengths he went to in order to perform. “He would fly out to get treated, then come right back on stage,” Jackson said. “After the show, he’d be on a breathing machine. People don’t know that. They just see the Temptations.”
Nick Rashad Burroughs will join Jackson onstage as David Ruffin — a role he grew up watching every Sunday with his family in Birmingham, Alabama. When he learned he had been cast, his first thought was about the people who shared that ritual with him. “My family is going to get to see me do this thing we all watched together on TV,” he said. “It feels like a dream come true.”
Burroughs grew up as a preacher’s kid, singing in church and directing the youth choir. He said those roots — gospel, R&B and the discipline of church musicianship — prepared him for the role long before he ever stepped on a stage. “I feel like I’ve been set up to play the most perfect role,” he said. “I’ve been surrounded by this inspiration my whole life.”
Portraying Ruffin means carrying forward a legacy of Black excellence built under pressure. “They had all the odds against them,” Burroughs said. “And they still rose to the top.” He said that understanding fuels his approach to the role. “If you’re going to do this story, the hard work comes with it. It’s hard work or nothing.”
Burroughs said one of the most important parts of playing Ruffin is portraying him as a full human being. “People think he’s the villain or the diva,” he said. “But it’s my job to find out who he really was.” He said the musical gives audiences a chance to see the layers behind Ruffin’s choices — the insecurities, emotions and pressures that shaped him. “I have to see him as a human being,” he said. “Where he was flawed, why the flaws happened, and how to make him feel authentic.”
Burroughs’ connection to St. Louis runs deep. He first performed here during the national tour of Something Rotten, returned with Moulin Rouge, and later starred in Dreamgirls at The Muny. “St. Louis has been one of my favorite places to perform,” he said. “I’ve built a family of friends here.”
He said performing iconic Black roles at The Muny carries weight. “I want young Black men to feel seen on stage,” he said. “I want them to know their work is valid.”
Burroughs said the moment Ruffin first sings with the Temptations in the movie was the moment he knew he wanted to perform. “Seeing how free he was on stage — I couldn’t help myself,” he said. Knowing that a young boy in the audience may have the same reaction to his performance is emotional. “That’s all I ever want to do — inspire young Black men and women.”
Both actors hope audiences allow the music and story to take them somewhere familiar. Jackson wants people to understand the men behind the harmonies. Burroughs wants them to feel the memories tied to the songs. “These songs hold family, love, history,” Burroughs said. “It’s a celebration of a group that led us musically for decades.”
For Jackson, returning to Melvin Franklin is an honor. For Burroughs, stepping into David Ruffin is a full-circle moment. Together, they will help usher the Temptations’ story onto The Muny stage — and introduce it to audiences who may be seeing it for the first time.
The Muny’s debut of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations will run July 27 through August 2 at The Muny at Forest Park. Visit muny.org for more information.