“Dick and I in front of our names.”
By December of 2012, it had been 18 months of my work on the book (and some lyrics) for Motown, and my influence on Mr. Gordy had peaked months before. The mission to get us across the finish line to Broadway, four months hence, was at a critical juncture.
When Dick Scanlan was hired to work beside me during the treacherous final phases – workshop, previews, to Opening – we both knew he had the power to replace me, had he so chosen, given his position in the industry (two Tony nominations and one of his shows, a Best Musical winner); he certainly had the talent. Instead, he opened his generous heart to me and a collaboration began that traversed across two projects, a teaching semester at an AIDS orphanage in South Africa, and a lifelong friendship. I learned more about writing, art and how to be a courageous human from this man than from just about anyone. For four months, we were inseparable, by necessity, writing all day until previews, back at work at midnight at the Westside Grill on 9th Avenue until 4am, and up for notes with Mr. Gordy at 8am to resume the daily cycle again.
Dick’s contributions to the success of the show were fundamental; sharp, funny, structural, transformative. He had the power in the room to make the changes that I would never have been permitted to have made, had I come up with them; he had the ability to articulate his vision in a way that was comprehensive, unassailable, convincing; he was able to be authoritative without ever losing the sense of collaboration. Just an extraordinary writer, artist and human being.
Mr. Gordy loved him right away. I did too. We didn’t win every battle with the Chairman – we wrote multiple drafts of the scene in which Diana comes to Berry to tell him that she’s pregnant with their child, which would have been a powerful addition, but ultimately an area into which Mr. Gordy refused to venture – but we won a lot more than we lost, and the difference to the final product was unassailable. I’ll always be grateful that Dick chose to collaborate with me rather than insist he replace me. Most – or many – people in his position would have done just that. Having said that, the result of both of us working toward realizing Mr. Gordy’s vision was what I consider to be the musical’s two metrics of success: one, it recouped on Broadway, London, two National Tours and one International tour; and two, it was the show Berry Gordy had in his head with which to carry on the Motown legacy.
This photo was taken outside the Lunt-Fontanne theatre on Broadway, before the show’s opening in April of 2013.