Music to Move You

Hitzville The Show star Jin Jin Reeves talks about bringing Motown and more to the Las Vegas stage

Jin Jin Reeves and the Hitzville The Show cast create music magic in Las Vegas five nights a week. Reeves, who is also the producer and choreographer of the show, shines onstage as she takes on the personas and voices of some of Motown’s biggest names like Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Tina Turner. Backed by a phenomenal live band and a troupe of accomplished singers, Reeves and the cast throw a nonstop party spotlighting the genre’s biggest and most-beloved hits while exuding an energy that is simply showstopping. Reeves has been performing different iterations of Hitzville in Las Vegas for more than two decades, and is excited to bring the show to The Duomo stage at Rio, where it opened a few months ago. Las Vegas Magazine’s Kiko Miyasato recently spoke with Reeves about the show and the importance of connecting with the audience..

There’s a lot of Motown artists and Motown songs. How did you narrow down the choices of what to include in the show?

It depends on what I feel. This time I decided to add more soul to the show— so I added The Emotions, The Spinners. I wanted to bring something different this time. Tina is not Motown and the O’Jays are not Motown, so that’s why the show is Motown and more.

What is it about the music of Motown that you love?

I grew up in Motown. I grew up in Detroit. I was in a summer youth program with a lady named Kim Weston, she sang “It Takes Two” with Marvin Gaye, she has quite a few hits. Kim had a summer youth program like (’80s movie) Fame, before Fame ever became famous. In this program, it was for underprivileged children that wouldn’t otherwise get opportunities. They taught us how to be professional singers if indeed that was what our desire was in life—to sing, to dance, to act, anything that had to do with the entertainment industry. So that’s how I got started. Motown greats would come to the program like Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Alvin Ailey, so many Motown greats would come and share their knowledge and experiences. That’s how I ended up doing Motown music—it’s just who I am and what I love the most.

The intimacy of the showroom allows you to connect with the audience—is that something that is important to you?

It is my absolute favorite thing to do is connect with the audience. I love people. I see peoples’ spirits are being lifted by what we’re giving; I want to know that they’re feeling us. I’m energizing the audience.

When you’re channeling Aretha, Tina, Diana, your energy is off the charts.

I have a passion and a love for each artist. It allows me to show the versatility in my voice and hopefully capture the memories of the audience so they can reminisce (being) back in the day. I’m taking their minds through a journey through the song and doing the best I can, and as close as I can to the original voices, but I do it my way.

Are there any particular numbers that you love to perform?

I enjoy everything I do, honestly. Aretha, Gladys, Tina, sometimes I do the duet of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. I try and go into character for each (artist) that I perform as.

Readers have a lot of show options in the city. Why should they come check out Hitzville?

First of all, I believe we’re the No. 1 Motown revue in Las Vegas. I think that we’re at a five-star level. We have a live band—there’s nothing like live music, and I think that makes it captivating and a pull that people would enjoy. We’ve been licensed by the Motown Museum—which is a huge compliment—to do the music of Motown. … I would encourage guests to come and let their hair down and come in and enjoy. We want to take their minds on a journey so they can reminisce where they were back in the day. If they weren’t living back then, then today is a new memory they can form and take with them.

Rio, hitsvilletheshow.com