Temptations concert sparks excitement in audience By Karen L. Peiffer An evening with The Temptations was a long awaited treat for devoted fans of the Motown sound in Harrisburg on Nov. 10. For 90 minutes, audience members at The Forum immersed themselves in a flood of memories brought back by such Motown smashes as: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "Just My Imagination," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," and "Get Ready." A spark of excitement hung in the air from the moment the audience was seated and was ignited by The Temptations' dazzling performance of choreographed dance steps and perfectly harmonized voices. On more than one occasion audience participants, completely losing themselves in the excitement of the show, danced in the aisles and belted out the lyrics to their favorite songs. Even though The Temptations presented their fans with a slight difference in sound and appearance due to original member Melvin Franklins' temporary absence, their audience didn't seem to mind a bit. When the group asked for four volunteers to help them sing a rousing chorus of "My Girl," five uninhibited members of the audience were tempted right out of their seats and onto the stage in a matter of seconds. All five performances were priceless, and the audience howled and applauded as though they were watching seasoned comedians. Are The Temptations making a comeback, you may ask? The answer is a definitive "yes!" Formed 28 years ago in Detroit, The Temptations are on the move and still going strong. Rahn Coleman ; conductor of The Temptations' rhythm section, said the band is on the road 40 weeks a year. The group is currently in the midst of an international concert tour which has had them performing to enthusiastic audiences as far away as Japan and as near as Canada. Founding member Otis Williams has recently authored a book about the history of the group entitled simply: "Temptations." And, most importantly, The Temptations are planning to begin studio production on a brand new album as early as January of next year. The group is determined to add to the 35 Top 40 hits they currently list to their credit. If The Forum performance and the audience reaction were any indication of the continued success The Temptations have to look forward to, they will indeed add to that list of hits and at the same time increase the number of their dedicated fans. The Temptations packed the house in I I Harrisburg on Nov. 10, crea ed an intense excitement not easily fo otten, and, in the end literally left their ns on "Cloud Nine." 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The crowd got its money's worth. The Temptations created an intense excitement that made even the most critical member of the audience tap his foot and join the standing ovation near the end of the performance. Unfortunately, what the audience did not see was the incredible energy that goes into putting together a show of this magnitude. As usual, there was as much drama behind the footlights as there was in front of them. As early as 1:30 p.m., the sound and lighting systems had been installed and were, being tested by the PA Audio company of Harrisburg and the Baltimore Stage Lighting company of Baltimore, Md. Promoter John Detrick and security consultant Greg Sell were taking a break after a particularly rigorous morning of assuring The Temptations safe transportation from airport to hotel, coordinating the arrival of all the support personnel, and directing the placement of the Capital police who would provide ample security. Stage Manager Derrick Jenkins was supervising the timely completion of more than 10 projects involved in the stage's final appearance. Sales Manager Warren Castaneira and several employees of Wray Music Center in Lemoyne were busy unloading their store's rental equipment for the evening's performance. Caterer Tim Davis from Casa Rillo's restaurant in Camp Hill was carefully preparing The Green Room for the dinner that was to be served before the show to members of the band, family, and friends. Ten members of the Buzz Jones Big Band, the locally-hired horn section, arrived several hours before the performance in order to attend the rehearsal with Temptations conductor Rahn Coleman. A two-hour horn rehearsal quickly ensued during which time the members of the Big Band concentrated on perfection and berated themselves for even the most minute error. The charismatic conductor sat amongst the horn section beating a wooden dowel from a hotel clothes hanger on an instrument case to keep the tempo. Surrounded by Mirrors in the dressing room, used for the next two hours as a rehearsal room, everyone was driven toward one pursuit -- achieving a harmonic excellence before show time. Several members of the horn• section appeared apprehensive. But Coleman, wearing a fedora hat with feathers, grinned frequently, cracked jokes, and succeeded in putting them at ease almost immediately. During the 10-minute break, Ron Axsom, who had previously continued on page 7
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