Dreamgirls

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This is about the musical. For its movie adaptation, see Dreamgirls (film).
Dreamgirls
Original Broadway Production
Music Henry Krieger
Lyrics Tom Eyen
Book Tom Eyen
Theatre Imperial Theatre
Opened December 20, 1981
Closed August 11, 1985
Producer(s) Michael Bennett
Bob Avian
Geffen Records
The Shubert Organization
Director Michael Bennett
Choreographer Michael Bennett
Michael Peters
Scenic designer Robin Wagner
Costume designer Theoni V. Aldredge
Lighting designer Tharon Musser

Dreamgirls is an award-winning Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway and ran for 1,522 performances. The musical follows the story of an African-American female singing trio from Chicago called "The Dreams", who become music superstars. It features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen, and was directed by Michael Bennett, produced by Bennett, Bob Avian, and Geffen Records, and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. The original Broadway production, which won six Tony Awards, starred Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Cleavant Derricks, and Obba Babatunde.

The play has been adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and is set to open in limited release on December 18, 2006. The feature film version of Dreamgirls will star Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Act I

The story begins in 1962, when The Dreamettes, a hopeful black girl group from Chicago, enter the famous Amateur Night talent competition at the Apollo Theater in New York City. The three girls include full-figured lead singer Effie White and her groupmates and best friends, Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson. For the talent contest, the Dreamettes sing "Move (You're Steppin' on My Heart)", a song written by Effie's brother, C.C., who accompanies them to New York. Backstage, the girls and C.C. meet Curtis Taylor, Jr., a shady used-car salesman who becomes the Dreamettes' manager.

Curtis convinces James "Thunder" Early, a popular R&B star, and his manager, Marty, to take the Dreamettes on as backup singers. Although Jimmy Early & the Dreamettes' first performance together is successful, Jimmy is desperate for new material. The ambitious Curtis convinces Jimmy and Marty that they should venture beyond the traditional R&B/soul audiences and aim for the pop market, so C.C. writes the song "Cadillac Car" for Jimmy & the Dreamettes. The single makes its way up the pop charts, but a cover version by white singers (Dave & the Sweethearts) steals the original recording's thunder.

Angered by "Cadillac Car's" failure, Curtis, Marty, and C.C. decide to resort to payola: they bribe DJs across the nation to play Jimmy Early & the Dreamettes' next single, "Steppin' to the Bad Side", and the record becomes a major pop hit. Conflict arises between Marty and Curtis when Curtis moves in on Marty's turf: Jimmy Early. Things become more complicated when lovesick Effie begins dating Curtis, and Jimmy, a married man, begins an affair with Lorrell.

Marty eventually quits as Jimmy's manager and Curtis takes over, more power-driven than ever and strongly determined to make his black singers household names in white homes. Curtis begins to transform Jimmy Early into a Perry Como-esque pop singer, and concentrates on establishing the Dreamettes as their own act, renaming them "The Dreams" and changing their act to give them a more sophisticated and pop-friendly look and sound. The most crucial of these changes is the establishment of the more pop-friendly (and thinner) Deena as lead singer instead of the gospel-voiced (and heavier) Effie. Effie is resentful for being pushed out of the spotlight, but her anger is doubled when Curtis's affections also shifts toward Deena.

Over the next few years, the Dreams become a mainstream success with hit singles such as "Dreamgirls" and "Heavy". As Deena is increasingly feted as a star, Effie becomes temperamental and unpredictable, and Lorrell attempts to keep peace between them. Effie soon begins missing shows because of illness (it is later revealed that she was pregnant with Curtis's child), and Curtis and Deena are convinced that Effie is attempting to sabotage the act. Curtis has Effie replaced with a new singer, Michelle Morris, a change Effie learns about before anyone has a chance to tell her. A heartbroken Effie is left behind, and "Deena Jones & the Dreams", as the group is now to be known, forge ahead without her.

[edit] Act II

The story moves five years ahead, into the early 1970s. Deena Jones & the Dreams have become the most successful female act in the country, Deena has married Curtis, and C.C. is in love with Michelle. Although she is now an international star, Deena is no longer interested in singing. She wants to be an actress and go into movies, but Curtis, who controls every aspect of Deena's life, refuses to let her go.

Meanwhile, Effie is back in Chicago, a single mother struggling to get another break. Marty, now her manager, compels her to rebuild her confidence. Jimmy has become a washed-up has-been, and draws Curtis' ire by sneaking funk numbers into his repertoire of stiff, pop-friendly numbers. In addition, Jimmy is still dating Lorrell behind his wife's back. Realizing things will never change, Lorrell leaves Jimmy behind just as Curtis ends his management deal with him.

C.C. becomes the next person to defect from Curtis' operation, after Curtis rearranges his latest composition, an emotional ballad entitled "One Night Only", into a rhythm-heavy dance number for Deena & the Dreams (with which Curtis hopes to introduce a "new sound": disco). Michelle convinces C.C. to go to his sister Effie, apologize, and let her record the song, which he does. Effie's version of "One Night Only" begins climbing the charts, causing an enraged Curtis to not only rush-release Deena & the Dreams' version, but to use massive amounts of payola to push Deena's version up the charts and Effie's version down. Effie, C.C., and Marty discover Curtis' scheme and confront him, threatening legal action. As Curtis makes arrangements with Effie's lawyer to reverse his wrongdoings, Effie and Deena reconcile, and Deena finally finds the courage to leave Curtis and live her own life.

The story ends with a happy ending for all. Effie's "One Night Only" becomes a number-one hit, as the Dreams break up so that Deena can pursue her movie career. For the last number of the Dreams' farewell concert, Effie rejoins the group onstage, and all four Dreams sing their signature song - "Dreamgirls" - one last time.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Musical numbers

[edit] Act I

  • "I'm Looking For Something" - The Stepp Sisters
  • "Goin' Downtown" - Little Albert & the Tru-Tones
  • "Takin' the Long Way Home" - Tiny Joe Dixon
  • "Move (You're Steppin' on My Heart)" - The Dreamettes
  • "Fake Your Way to the Top" - James "Thunder" Early and The Dreamettes
  • "Cadillac Car" - Curtis, Jimmy, C.C., Marty and The Company
  • "Cadillac Car (On the Road)" - The Company
  • "Cadillac Car (Recording Studio)" - The Company
  • "Cadillac Car" (Reprise) - Dave & the Sweethearts
  • "Steppin' to the Bad Side" - Curtis, C.C., Wayne, Marty, Jimmy & the Dreamettes and the Company
  • "Party, Party" - The Company
  • "I Want You Baby" - Jimmy & the Dreamettes
  • "Family" - C.C., Curtis, Jimmy, Deena, and Lorrell
  • "Dreamgirls" - The Dreams
  • "Press Conference" - The Company
  • "Heavy" - The Dreams
  • "Driving Down the Strip" - Jimmy, Deena, Lorrell, C.C., Effie, Michelle
  • "It's All Over" - Curtis, Effie, Deena, Lorrell, C.C., Michelle, and Jimmy
  • "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" - Effie
  • "Love Love You Baby" - Deena Jones & the Dreams

[edit] Act II

  • "Dreamgirls (Reprise)" or "Dreams Medley" - Deena Jones & the Dreams
  • "I Am Changing" - Effie
  • "One More Picture Please" - The Company
  • "When I First Saw You" - Curtis and Deena
  • "Got to Be Good Times" - The Four Tuxedos
  • "Ain't No Party" - Lorell and Jimmy
  • "I Meant You No Harm/Quintette" - Jimmy, Deena, Lorrell, C.C., Michelle
  • "Jimmy's Rap" Jimmy, C.C., Marty, Curtis, Frank, Lorrell and The Company
  • "I Miss You Old Friend" - Les Style
  • "Effie, Sing My Song" - C.C. and Effie
  • "One Night Only" - Effie
  • "One Night Only (Disco Version)"- Deena Jones & the Dreams
  • "I'm Somebody" - Deena Jones & the Dreams
  • "Faith in Myself" - Effie White
  • "Hard to Say Goodbye, My Love" Deena Jones & the Dreams
  • "Dreamgirls" (Finale) - The Dreams

[edit] History

[edit] Original Broadway production

The original Broadway production of Dreamgirls starred Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones, Jennifer Holliday as Effie White, Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson, Ben Harney as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Cleavant Derricks as James "Thunder" Early, and Obba Babatunde as C. C. White. Dreamgirls proved to be a star-making vehicle for several of its performers, particularly Holliday, whose performance as Effie received significant praise. In early versions of the play, the character Effie died, and Jennifer Holliday originally refused to be in the show. When no suitable replacement could be found, the story was re-written, making both Effie and Deena, and not just Deena, the main characters of the story. [1]

Dreamgirls was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical, and eventually won six: Best Book of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Ben Harney), Best Actress in a Musical (Jennifer Holliday), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Cleavant Derricks), Best Lighting Design (Tharon Musser), and Best Choreography (Michael Bennett & Michael Peters).[2] Holliday's recording of Effie's solo "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", was a Top 30 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. For the Dreamgirls cast recording, the producers decided to present the complex musical sequences as individual songs, cutting approximately half of the score.

After its success on Broadway, Dreamgirls has been frequently produced and presented. A 2001 concert performance starring Lillias White, Audra McDonald, Heather Headley, Billy Porter and Norm Lewis was recorded and released in its entirety on CD. During the early 2000s, American Idol contestant Frenchie Davis gained praise for her role as Effie in several productions of Dreamgirls. In late 2005 and early 2006, the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia produced a critically acclaimed revival of the show which extended for over three months. The production team included director Richard Parison, music director Jesse Vargas, and choreographer Mercedes Ellington. The production was courted by several Broadway and commercial producers. Composer Henry Krieger was said to have praised the revival as the most authentic since the original Broadway production.

[edit] The Dreams and The Supremes

The basic plot of Dreamgirls is derived from the history of The Supremes, a girl-group from Detroit which was Motown's most successful group act during the 1960s.[3] Effie White is a doppelgänger for Florence Ballard, original lead singer of the Supremes; the character's vocal stylings and personality are based upon soul singer Etta James. Diana Ross, who became the central focus of the Supremes and later left the group to pursue a solo career and a brief venture into films, is here adapted into the character of Deena Jones. Supremes member Mary Wilson is represented by Lorrell Robinson. Curtis Taylor, Jr. represents Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder of Motown, who pushed the Supremes towards pop success and became romantically involved with Ross. James "Thunder" Early is depicted as a cross between James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and Jackie Wilson, and C. C. White is a collective representative for The Supremes' songwriters, who included the Holland-Dozier-Holland team and Smokey Robinson. Michelle Morris is representative of Cindy Birdsong, Florence Ballard's replacement in The Supremes, which was renamed "Diana Ross & the Supremes" at the time of that personnel change.

Dreamgirls is most dissimilar from The Supremes' story in its second act, which ends with Effie finding success as a solo performer. In real life, Florence Ballard's solo career was unsuccessful and the singer sank into poverty, depression, and alcoholism, dying of cardiac arrest at the age of thirty-two in 1976, just after her career had been revived. The play also shows inspiration from the 1976 feature film Sparkle, which itself was inspired by The Supremes' story.

In addition, Michael Bennett, Henry Krieger, Tom Eyen, and the Dreamgirls producers denied and downplayed the connections between the musical's plot and the Supremes' life story, hoping to avoid legal issues from Motown Records and Diana Ross. Mary Wilson loved Dreamgirls, and even named her first autobiography, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, after it. Diana Ross, however, was reportedly angered by the musical, and expressed her dislike of it in the media. Though the Deena character mirrors Diana Ross, Sheryl Lee Ralph stands to the fact that she was not trying to imitate Ross, but portrayed Deena in a similar yet distinct style.

[edit] Film adaptation

Main article: Dreamgirls (film)

David Geffen, founder of Geffen Records and one of the play's financiers, leased the Dreamgirls film rights to Warner Bros. in the 1980s. Although the film was announced several times, with actresses such as Whitney Houston (as Deena), Lauryn Hill (another Deena candidate), and Kelly Price (as Effie), the studio eventually abandoned the project.[4] Geffen eventually leased the rights to DreamWorks SKG, a company he co-founded, and Paramount Pictures. Laurence Mark produced an adaptation of Dreamgirls for DreamWorks and Paramount, written and directed by Bill Condon.

The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson as Effie White, Beyoncé as Deena Jones, and Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinson. Also appearing in the film adaptation are Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor, Jr, Eddie Murphy as James "Thunder" Early, Danny Glover as Marty, Sharon Leal as Michelle Morris, and Keith Robinson as C.C. White. Dreamgirls will first be exhibited in special ten-day road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 at three theaters: the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the AMC Metreon 15 in San Francisco. The film will subsequently go into wide release on December 25.[5] The original Lorrell Robinson (Loretta Devine) has a cameo role as a "jazz singer" in this film adaptation

To give the story more exposure for the upcoming film release, DreamWorks Pictures and the copyright owners of the original play, Tams-Witmark, paid the licensing fees for all non-professional stage performances of Dreamgirls for the calendar year of 2006. DreamWorks hoped to encourage amateur productions of Dreamgirls, and familiarize a wider audience with the play.

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Tony Awards

WINNERS:

  • Best Book of a Musical (Tom Eyen)
  • Best Lead Actor in a Musical (Ben Harney)
  • Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Jennifer Holliday)
  • Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Cleavant Derricks)
  • Best Choreography (Michael Bennett & Michael Peters)
  • Best Lighting Design (Tharon Musser)

NOMINATIONS:

  • Best Musical
  • Best Director of a Musical (Michael Bennett)
  • Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Sheryl Lee Ralph)
  • Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Obba Babatunde)
  • Best Score of a Musical (Henry Kreiger & Tom Eyen)
  • Best Scenic Design (Robin Wagner)
  • Best Costume Design (Theoni V. Aldredge)

[edit] Drama Desk Awards

WINNERS:

  • Best Book of a Musical (Tom Eyen)
  • Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Jennifer Holliday)
  • Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Cleavant Derricks)
  • Best Lighting Design (Tharon Musser)
  • Best Scenic Design (Robin Wagner)

NOMINATIONS:

[edit] Grammy Awards

  • Best Cast Show Album - Winner
  • Best Female Performance, R&B (Jennifer Holliday - "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going") - Winner

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Hill, Jeremy. "Pre-Broadway. Dreamgirls: Your Virtual Coffee Table Book of the Musical.
  2. ^ "Past Winners Search Results." TonyAwards.com. Retrieved from http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search?start=0&year=&award=&lname=&fname=&show=%3Ci%3EDreamgirls%3C%2Fi%3E on November 11, 2006.
  3. ^ Fotenot, Robert (2005). "American Idol's Jennifer Hudson as the Supremes' Florence Ballard?" Retrieved from http://oldies.about.com/b/a/220110.htm?terms=jennifer+holliday on November 11, 2006.
  4. ^ Hill, Jeremy. "Film Version (2006): History". Dreamgirls: Your Virtual Coffee Table Book of the Musical.
  5. ^ McClintock, Pamela (Nov. 6, 2006). "D'Works takes 'Girls' on road." Daily Variety. Retrieved from http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117953449.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&s=h&p=0 on November 11, 2006.

[edit] References

[edit] External Links

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