From the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations” covers the story of the iconic Motown super-group.

The first national tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical comes to Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center from May 17 to 22, as part of the 2021-22 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series.

The production highlights the group’s signature harmonies and dance moves through hits including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and the titular 1966 number, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”

It’s the story of the group’s “Classic Five” lineup, told through the eyes of original member Otis Williams, said James T. Lane, a New York City-based performer who plays group member Paul Williams. The two Williamses are not related.

“We go from the streets of Detroit, where they started working with Berry Gordy and Motown, all the way to the heights of international fame,” Lane said. “It’s a really lovely overview into their lives as they traverse the music industry and the life of an African American musician at that time, that was really filled with a lot of strife, a lot of courage and a lot of new experiences.”

Lane said he identifies with his character on two levels.

“Paul Williams was the group’s first choreographer. All the classic Temptations’ moves that are so recognizable, he was responsible for that,” Lane said. “He saw that people were just standing still and crooning, and he said, ‘No, no, no, we got to do more than that to stand out.’

“I started out dancing when I was about 6 years old; it was my first love,” he said.

The show goes beyond the group’s success into its members’ “personal times of struggle and obstacles, in particular Paul Williams and his suicide that was pinned to his alcoholism,” said Lane, who also has a past history of substance use. “What an honor for me to be in this role and to have gotten to the other side of that. I get to bring his story to life as a survivor, as a success story.”

In good hands

Lane, 44, grew up in South Philadelphia, where he attended performing arts elementary and high schools, dancing at night with the Koresh Dance Company.

“Philadelphia is full of music and talent. I fell into the hands of good tutelage,” he said. “I had great teachers that I’m still in touch with.”

He fell in love with musical theater as a teen after seeing a touring production of “Phantom of the Opera.”

“I was like, ‘You could do that as a profession? What? They get to go on tour and make a living at that?’ ” he said.

He earned a full scholarship to Carnegie Mellon University but didn’t stay there long — although he has fond memories of hanging out at Eat’n Park and TCBY in Squirrel Hill.

“(Carnegie Mellon) wasn’t exactly the right fit for me, so I went to Penn State, and that was a better fit – but I didn’t stay there. I had the bug too bad,” he said. “I went to New York City for an audition on a Friday and came back with a job on Monday.

“There I was, an African American kid in Zurich, Switzerland, at age 19” in a touring production of “Fame.”

Lane’s theater resume also includes “Kiss Me, Kate,” ”King Kong,” “The Scottsboro Boys,” “Chicago” and “A Chorus Line” on Broadway and touring productions of “Jersey Boys” and “Cinderella.”

“Ain’t Too Proud” opened on Broadway in March 2019, where it played to sold-out audiences and broke the Imperial Theatre’s box office record. It was nominated that year for 11 Tony Awards and won for Best Choreography.

Tickets for “Ain’t Too Proud” at the Benedum Center are $33-$120. For curtain times and reservations, visit trustarts.org.