It's A Plum Role For Actress Playing Diana Ross In 'Motown: The Musical'

DENVER (CBS4) - The national tour of "Motown: The Musical" is now playing in Denver. Diana Ross is an icon of both Motown and American music, so playing her on stage might seem to be an overwhelming challenge. But as Critic at Large Greg Moody found out, that's not the case for one actress.

In many ways Diana Ross was the face and is the memory of Motown. She's one of the centerpiece characters in "Motown: The Musical," which means that an actress has to somehow play the part, capture the character and deliver the talent on stage eight times a week.

"It's always a challenge when you're playing someone who is still alive," said Allison Semmes, who plays Diana Ross in the musical. "And such an iconic woman."

For Semmes, playing Diana is both a challenge and an opportunity.

"I knew that a lot of people probably might have been expecting an exact duplicate of Diana Ross," Semmes said. "But the thing is, the creative team was great in that they told us that they didn't want an impersonation of them, but just to capture the essence of them."

It's not only a plum role for Semmes, but it's an important show as Motown is a centerpiece of American music.

"They kind of forged this social change through music. So I think that's like a huge part of Motown as well -- not just the entertainment, but the social effect that it had as well."

What Semmes brings to the stage as Diana Ross is not only a rich, wide-ranging voice, but a humanity that tells a story far beyond the music, according to Moody.

"Motown: The Musical" is on stage March 31 to April 19 at the Buell Theatre. For tickets call (303) 893-4100 or head to denvercenter.org.