Motown sound coming to Nebraska Public TV and Omaha’s Orpheum Theater

My top tourist must-see in Detroit is the Motown Museum. I love the Motown sound. Who doesn’t? Motown turned out some of the greatest musicians in history – Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder.

I’m trying to figure out a driving route home from our planned New England trip this summer that takes us through Detroit.

In the meantime, we have a couple of ways of taking in the Motown sound in our area.

Nebraska Educational Television (NET) and the Omaha Performing Arts have programs coming up focusing on Motown.

NET is airing a special “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” Saturday (Feb. 28th). It’s an encore presentation of a special program recorded more than two decades ago in honor of Berry Gordy’s baby – Motown Records. NET 1 and NET HD will air the program at 8 p.m. CT.

The show features the reunions of some of the greatest performers from the 1960s and ‘70s. The show will feature performances by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves, Mary Wells, Jr. Walker, as well as others.

The program served as the backstory for the Broadway show, “Motown the Musical.”

Omaha will be the site of the Broadway Across America series’ presentation of “Motown the Musical.” The show will run at the Orpheum Theater March 25-28. The show will feature more than 50 hit songs. I’m psyched!

So, as I work to figure out my route home through Detroit, I plan on taking in both Motown shows on TV and at the theater. I hope you do the same.

For more information on the PBS special “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” or more NET programming, please visit www.netnebraska.org.

For show and ticket information on “Motown the Musical” at the Omaha Orpheum, please visit www.TicketOmaha.com or www.omahaperformingarts.org.

For more information on the Motown Museum, please visit www.motownmuseum.org.