by Trish Causey
The Tony- and Oscar-winning musical sensation,
Dreamgirls, is making a spectacular comeback! Scheduled to premiere at the legendary Apollo Theatre on November 7, 2009, this new production already has theatre-goers buying up tickets for the national tour.
The newest incarnation of
Dreamgirls is a visual feast in its dazzling simplicity under the direction of Robert Longbottom. Almost 30 years since it first premiered on Broadway, the story of talented hopefuls with stars in their eyes is a timeless tale. Cast through an open audition process, the new national tour stars Moya Angela (Effie), Syesha Mercado (Deena), and Adrienne Warren (Lorrell) as "The Dreams."
The original Set Designer, Robin Wagner, was brought back for the new production. Wagner’s pared-down set includes LED lights and moving panels that rotate to change the visual shape of the stage throughout the production.
Theoni Aldredge’s original costume designs that perfectly evoked the 1960’s Motown era inspired William Ivey Long’s new creations. He utilized modern fabrics to facilitate the singers’ and dancers’ movements across the expansive stage, while retaining the glitz and glam of starlets on the rise to success.
The story follows three friends: Deena, Ellie, and Lorrell, as they pursue their dream of stardom as an all-girl singing group, “The Dreammettes.” Deena is the lead singer while Effie and Lorrell sing backup.
An agent discovers them and sets them on the course to fame and fortune. However, that course also includes a grueling test of friendship as Effie becomes more popular than Deena.
The original Broadway production of
Dreamgirls opened in 1981, turning the theatre world on its ear, and made stars out of its lead singers, Jennifer Holliday (Effie) and Sheryl lee Ralph (Deena). Powerhouse belter, Holliday, became world famous for her emotional performance of Effie’s song, “And I Am Telling You.” She released her version of the song in 1982. It became a #1 hit on Billboard's R&B charts and earned Holliday the 1983 Grammy Award for "Best R&B" performance by a female.
The musical was a smash success and inspired the film version of
Dreamgirls in 2006. The movie was an unequivocal success, albeit controversially, as life imitated art. The film made an overnight star out of newcomer, Jennifer Hudson (Effie), leaving ho-hum reviews for internationally known singer, Beyoncé (Deena). As proof of Hudson’s gut-wrenching performance and soul-stirring vocals, she won an Academy Award for her role as Effie.
The music of
Dreamgirls has certainly stood the test of time. Composer Henry Krieger even wrote a new song for the new production, “Listen.” Used in the 2006 film version, he rewrote the lyrics to evoke the stage dynamic between Deena and Effie.
“To be able to write a song for it, it’s as if I’d never put my hands off the keyboard.”
Henry Krieger, composer
This song is not all that is new. Co-Choreographer Shane Sparks, from TV’s “So You Think You Can Dance?,” flavored the theatrical dancing with street Hip-Hop for a modern edge to this stage classic.
The new
Dreamgirls production opens at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem November 7th and travels around the country on a 14-city tour through June 2010. Get your tickets through the website:
http://www.dreamgirlsonstage.com/ , and be apart of the Dream.
