Chester Gregory is arguably the best male performer this Phillyist has ever seen on stage―he was clearly channeling the spirits of Motown's greatest icons w/ease, believability, & a whole lot of humor. This man is talented & by talented, we mean insanely gifted. He gives a whole new meaning to "triple threat," & his talents are fully showcased in "Steppin' to the Bad Side" & "I Meant You No Harm."
And she isn't the only one to bring the Fair Park audience to shrieking show-gasm. Playing James "Thunder" Early, actor Chester Gregory wears a Little Richard pompadour and does crazy knee-drops like Prince as the character loosely based on James Brown. (He's the soul music star for whom The Dreams are merely an opening act early in the show.) Gregory, who played the lead in The Jackie Wilson Story at the Apollo, goes to town with the comedy as the ego-driven Jimmy, but he also finds the hurt Jimmy feels as the music biz tries to turn him into a black Pat Boone safe for white audiences. Gregory is a fantastic singer, too, earning audience screams on the rousing "Fake Your Way to the Top" and getting the biggest applause at the curtain call, appreciation for a well-rounded turn in a production that tells you again and again that it is not going―without another big, splashy number, that is.
And then there's the compelling, brilliant performance by Chester Gregory as James Thunder Early. His James Brown knock-off had audience members jumping up and down in the Fair Park aisles.
Chester Gregory threatens to steal the show as Early. Early is arrogant, proud and enormously talented, and Gregory finds all the character's humor and fire.