Berry Gordy Jr. and Motown Headed to Broadway

Berry Gordy Jr. and Motown are headed to Broadway in a new musical, reports the New York Times. Partnering with Doug Morris, chairman of Sony Music Entertainment, and producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, Avenue Q), Gordy will co-produce Motown: The Musical, set to open in the spring of 2013.

"It's the truth about Motown, how it happened, why it happened, and who the people were and the ups and downs of the whole thing." Gordy told Rolling Stone backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in April. "Im very delighted just to be involved."

The story, written by Gordy, begins in 1959 as he made his first steps towards starting the label and tracks his rise in the music business. The musical will include some new songs along with hits from the Motown catalog. Artists including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson will appear as characters in the show.

"We're dealing with the truth of what happened and how it happened, and all the fun and troubles we had in trying to make the magic that was made through people like Smokey, who was the soul of Motown and the heart of Motown," said Gordy.