"Motown The Musical" stars talk Tony 2013 nominations
It seems there ain't no mountain high enough to stop audiences from coming to see "Motown The Musical" on Broadway.
Tickets for performances have been selling out weeks in advance, and The New York Times has just named it the biggest new theatrical hit of the season.Perhaps that's no surprise, given that 50-plus classic songs from the record label's catalog are included in the Broadway production. The show's book was written by Motown founder Berry Gordy, adapted from his 1994 memoir "To Be Loved."
The musical's success has also extended beyond ticket sales.
"Motown The Musical" is currently up for four Tony Award nominations.
Actor Charl Brown has received a best featured actor nod for his portrayal of Motown great Smokey Robinson.
"I got a chance to work very closely with Berry Gordy, who is still Smokey Robinson's best friend to this day. So he gave us a lot of insight about Motown...how it was created and how big of a role Smokey played in that as well," Brown told CBSNews.com.
Valisia LeKae is also nominated in the best actress category for her role as Diana Ross. LeKae had nothing but praise for her real-life counterpart.
"She's extremely nice. She's extremely supportive," LeKae said. "She was actually here last Friday again to see the show with her and Berry's daughter Rhonda...She's a dream come true for me. But I play her on stage so I'm a little bit one-sided."
Watch the video above to see Brown and LeKae talk about what it feels like to score a Tony nomination.
The "Motown The Musical" cast will perform at this year's Tony Awards ceremony, airing this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
