CHICAGO — It's inside the Black Ensemble Theater on North Clark in Uptown, where we find a new production with Motown roots.
The Real Housewives of Motown is a reality TV take on the history behind some of the most prodigious sounds and stars of the classic era.
There’s such a great energy you get from that music and we’ve seen so many shows, Michelle Renne Bester, the writer and director said.
Bester said the behind-the-scenes look at the First Wives of Motown was needed.
"We have the drama that comes with the real housewives franchise. We have the comedy we see, the family, the love, the sisterhood and amazing music," she said.
The characters are based on the real people and stories from past interviews and artistic license.
"I’ve just felt that these women, they’ve gone through so much and we already know the musical history behind their superstar husband. Let’s see what it was like for them," Bester said. "They've very open about a lot of stuff they’d gone through, especially Ms. Claudette Rogers-Robinson."
Bringing spirit and song to a story of women told through the modern lens of the Real Housewives.
"We have our confessionals, the set is televisions, there’s huge television screen everywhere so the wives give us confessionals and there are candid comments, some snide jokes, some petty remarks but I feel they had drama and they had beef back then they just approached it differently," she said.
The Real Housewives of Motown runs through July 8 at the Black Ensemble Theater.