Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre to host Motown show

Published 9:23 am Wednesday, February 5, 2020

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Coming Friday to the Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre is The Legacy Motown Revue, a tribute band performing multiple hits in the styles of groups such as The Drifters, The Coasters, The Temptations and Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre is at 219 E. North St., adjacent to the Central School Apartments. Showtime is 7 p.m.

“This concert will be a great pre-Valentine date night,” said Albemarle Parks and Recreation Director Lisa Kiser, who added that the group comes “highly recommended” following a recent concert in Troy.

Legacy Motown Revue is a 10-member vocal, dance and brass band, performing the “music of the legendary icons of Motown,” says Stan Stigall, who founded the group 10 years ago after a career in which he served as pianist and music director for Bill Pinckney’s Original Drifters.

“I grew up listening to Motown music,” he said, “and after having played and toured with The Drifters, I had thought a long time about putting together a tribute band.”

But Stigall never acted on the idea until after Pinckney’s death in 2007.

“After Bill passed, my eagerness to put a show together grew stronger, and eventually we were able to assemble our group,” he said. “Our first official performance was on July 4, 2010 at the Kernersville 4th of July Celebration.”

The Forsyth County-based band, which features Stigall, Tiger Brace, Chris Griffin and Michael Tinsley as vocal and dance performers, also includes a six-piece horn section.

Stigall, who also worked with The Coasters and The Temptations, says the group’s songs will be very recognizable.

“We will perform songs originally recorded by The Chairmen of the Board, The Spinners and Smokey Robinson, just to name a few,” he said.

According to Kiser, the Motown performance is just one of a number of upcoming events at the Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre.

“Magician and illusionist Bryan Saint, who was the Season 5 winner on Penn and Teller’s ‘Fool Us’ on the CW Network, will be with us on April 4,” Kiser noted.

A number of community groups have reserved the Neighborhood Theatre in April, May and June for functions such as recitals and similar events, she added.

But the primary focus now is The Legacy Motown Revue.

“Tickets are $10 in advance, and $15 at the door,” Kiser said, “and they can be purchased at the Jesse F. Niven Community Center (1806 E. Main St.), the E.E. Waddell Community Center (621 Wall St.) and also at Vac & Dash (154 S. First St.) in Albemarle.”

For further information on Albemarle Neighborhood Theater events, call Albemarle Parks and Recreation at 704-984-9560.