Soul of Motown is one of the most popular musical tribute shows in Las Vegas, and the undeniable onstage chemistry between Sean Stewart Godfrey and Brandon Godfrey is a big part of the show’s success. The two talented singers were married in 2020 after launching the show with their castmates at the Westgate Cabaret in 2019, a rollicking tour through some of the most beloved music in American history. It’s a can’t-miss production, but it hits an emotional peak when these artists duet.
Was there an instant spark when you first met back in 2018 while performing Tennessee?
Brandon: When I first came in for the audition and saw her onstage, I just thought, she is beautiful. The whole night, I could care less about the other guys performing. I was in another show at the time and had to drive back to Virginia, and I told my friend that night that there’s this girl in the show, and that’s gonna be my girl. But I had to bide my time.
Sean: It was six months before I had any idea whatsoever. Everybody else seemed to be in on the secret but me!
What’s it like to be onstage together performing those classic, romantic Motown duets?
Brandon: You don’t realize what type of energy you exude. With us, there’s always been a connection that reads well to the audience.
Sean: Because we’re married, we gel perfectly onstage. It works for us, and it’s funny, because we had chemistry to begin with. Even before we were together, people who knew nothing about us would come up and talk to us, thinking we’re together.
It’s clear that you love performing together, and I’m sure it helps that this is some of the most familiar feel-good music of all time.
Sean: It gets no better. Motown has the ability to bring you out whatever you’re feeling. It can shift your spirit.
Brandon: There’s a timbre, a sound that Motown brings, a beat that Motown brings, and it just makes you feel something. That’s the feeling Motown was going for back in its time. There was a lot going on, those were tough times. Motown makes you forget about everything that’s going on and says, I’m here for a good time. It exudes love.
What sets Soul of Motown apart from other concert-style musicals in Las Vegas?
Sean: A lot of other shows are doing impersonations or other things to take you back to that era. The thing we love about this show is we can bring our own twist to it, individualize it to give our own perception of that song. It’s a modern Motown concert, a tribute to the artists from our hearts.
Do you have favorite tracks you still love to sing?
Brandon: “Tracks of My Tears” is probably my favorite. It’s a classic and it tells a story, and I’m a big theater person. It’s a pretty song to stand and sing, but when you get the story and the emotion behind the song, you feel like you’ve never heard it that way before.
Sean: There are some (songs by) artists that were not Motown artists. Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” will always be my favorite song, and it was originally done by Dolly Parton, who is from Tennessee, my home state.
Westgate Las Vegas, ticketmaster.com
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