Dreamgirls

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This is about the musical. For its musical film adaptation, see Dreamgirls (film).
Dreamgirls
The cover for the second Playbill of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. The artwork for the original Playbill was also used as the cover of the Dreamgirls Original Broadway Cast album.
Music Henry Krieger
Lyrics Tom Eyen
Book Tom Eyen
Based upon Inspired by the history of Motown Records
Productions 1981 Broadway production
1983 National tour
1985 International Tour
1987 Broadway
1994 Atlanta production
1997 Chicago production
1997 National tour
1998 Berlin production
2001 Broadway concert
2002 Atlanta production
2007 Atlanta production
Awards 1982 Tony Award for Best Book

Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. Dreamgirls won six Tony Awards in 1982, and closed on August 11, 1985 after four years and 1,522 performances.

Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,[1] Dreamgirls follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called "The Dreams", who become music superstars. It features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. The original Broadway production was directed by Michael Bennett, produced by Bennett, Bob Avian, Geffen Records, and The Shubert Organization, and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. The original Broadway production starred Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Cleavant Derricks, Obba Babatunde, and Vondie Curtis-Hall.

The musical was adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and opened on December 15, 2006 (limited) and December 25, 2006 (wide). The feature film version of Dreamgirls stars, in relation to the original Broadway cast, Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé Knowles, Anika Noni Rose, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal, and Danny Glover.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

[edit] Act I

The story begins in 1962, when The Dreamettes, a hopeful girl group from Chicago, enter the famous Amateur Night talent competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York ("I'm Lookin' for Something", "Goin' Downtown", "Takin' the Long Way Home"). 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 the talent show. 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 ("Fake Your Way to the Top"), Jimmy is desperate for new material. The ambitious Curtis convinces Jimmy and Marty that they should venture beyond traditional R&B/soul audiences and aim for the pop market, so C.C. writes the song "Cadillac Car" for Jimmy & the Dreamettes. Jimmy & the Dreamettes go out on tour ("Cadillac Car (On the Road)"), and record the single once they return home ("Cadillac Car (In the Recording Studio)"). "Cadillac Car" makes its way up the pop charts, but a cover version by white pop singers Dave & the Sweethearts ("Cadillac Car (Reprise)") steals the original recording's thunder.

Angered by "Cadillac Car's" failure, Curtis, C.C., and Jimmy's producer Wayne 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 ("Party, Party").

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 ("I Want You Baby"), 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 of being pushed out of the spotlight, although C.C. is able to convince her to go along with Curtis' plan ("Family").

The Dreams make their club debut in the Crystal Room in Cleveland, Ohio, singing their first single, "Dreamgirls". After a triumphant show, the press is eager to meet the newly minted stars ("Press Conference"). Curtis informs Deena that this is "Only the Beginning": "I'm going to make you the most famous woman who's ever lived," Curtis declares, as the slighted Effie quizzes "What about me?" Over the next few years, the Dreams become a mainstream success with hit singles such as "Heavy." As Deena is increasingly feted as a star, Effie becomes temperamental and unpredictable, as she suspects Curtis and Deena of having an affair behind her back. Lorrell attempts to keep peace between her bandmates, but the task proves impossible.

In 1967, the group - now known as "Deena Jones & the Dreams - is set to make its Las Vegas debut. However, when Jimmy stops by to visit the girls ("Drivin' Down the Strip"), he learns from the others that Effie has been missing shows because of illness (it is later revealed that she was pregnant with Curtis' child). Curtis and Deena are convinced she is trying to sabotage the act. Curtis replaces Effie with a new singer, Michelle Morris, a change Effie learns about before anyone has a chance to tell her. Effie confronts Curtis, C.C., and the group ("It's All Over"),(See the It's All Over page) but despite her personal appeal to Curtis ("And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"), the heartbroken Effie is left behind as Deena Jones & the Dreams forge ahead without her ("Love Love Me Baby").

[edit] Act II

The story moves five years ahead to 1972. Deena Jones & the Dreams have become the most successful girl group in the country ("Act II Opening" 1). Deena has married Curtis, and C.C. is in love with Michelle. Jimmy - still seeing Lorrell behind his wife's back - has gone years without a hit. Curtis shows little interest in updating or revitalizing Jimmy's act, both because of his preoccupation with Deena and because of Jimmy's habit of sneaking funk numbers into his repertoire of stiff, pop-friendly numbers. Meanwhile, Effie is back in Chicago, a single mother to her daughter Magic, and struggling to get another break. Marty, now her manager, compels her to rebuild her confidence and give up her diva attitude. After she does so, Effie is finally able to make a show business comeback ("I Am Changing").

In contrast to Effie's struggling to return to her musical career, Deena wants to stop singing and become an actress. Deena informs Curtis of such during a Vogue photo shoot ("One More Picture Please"), but Curtis refuses to let her go ("When I First Saw You"). Deena is not the only one chafing under Curtis' control: C.C. is enraged by Curtis constantly rearranging his songs, including an emotional ballad entitled "One Night Only" which Curtis wants instead recorded to reflect the "new sound" he is inventing (disco).

Deena Jones & the Dreams and Jimmy Early perform at a National Democratic fund raiser, on a bill alongside groups such as The Five Tuxedos ("Got to Be Good Times"). While waiting backstage to go on, Jimmy finds himself in another argument with Lorrell as to where their relationship is going and when, or if, Jimmy will tell his wife about their affair ("Ain't No Party"). Lorrell is in tears as Jimmy takes to the stage to perform "I Meant You No Harm", and she turns to Deena for support. As Jimmy pleads to Lorrell through his music, Deena tries to help Lorrell figure through her situation, and Michelle convinces the bitter and frustrated C.C. to go find his sister and reconcile with her ("Quintette").

Mid-way through "I Meant You No Harm", Jimmy falls apart and decides that he "can't sing any more sad songs". Desperate to keep his set going, Jimmy launches into a wild, improvised funk number ("The Rap") and drops his pants during the performance. An embarrassed Curtis fires Jimmy as soon as the set is over, and Lorrell ends her affair with Jimmy as well. The heartbroken Jimmy fades away into obscurity, refusing to "crawl" or "beg" for Curtis' help.

Marty arranges for C.C. to meet and reconcile with Effie at a recording studio ("I Miss You, Old Friend"). C.C. apologizes for his role in handicapping her career, and Effie records C.C.'s "One Night Only" in its original ballad format. "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 ("One Night Only (Disco)"). Effie, C.C., and Marty discover Curtis' scheme and confront him backstage at a Dreams concert, threatening legal action ("I'm Somebody", "Chicago/Faith in Myself"). As Curtis makes arrangements with Effie's lawyer to reverse his wrongdoings, Effie and Deena reconcile (and Deena learns that Effie's daughter Magic is Curtis' child). Realizing what kind of a man Curtis is, Deena finally finds the courage to leave him and live her own life.

Effie's "One Night Only" becomes a number-one hit, as the Dreams break up so that Deena can pursue her movie career ("Hard to Say Goodbye, My Love"). For the final number of the Dreams' farewell concert, Effie rejoins the group on stage, and all four Dreams sing their signature song - "Dreamgirls" - one last time.

[edit] Notes

  • 1 The original Act II opening was a medley reprising the songs "Dreamgirls", "Move (You're Steppin' on My Heart)", "Love Love Me Baby", "Family", "Heavy", and "Cadillac Car", performed by Deena Jones & the Dreams, followed by most of the company participating in a reprise of "Press Conference". When the musical's national tour began in 1983, the Act II opening was changed to consist of a reprise of "Dreamgirls", and the performance of a new song, "Step on Over".

[edit] History

[edit] Original Broadway production

Dreamgirls had its beginnings as a project for Nell Carter. Playwright Tom Eyen and composer Henry Krieger first worked together on the 1975 musical version of Eyen's play The Dirtiest Show in Town. Carter appeared in the musical, and her performance inspired Eyen and Krieger to craft a musical about Black back-up singers, which was originally called One Night Only and then given the working title of Project #9 [2]. Project #9 was workshopped for Joseph Papp; Nell Carter was joined at this time by Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine, who were to play her groupmates. The project was shelved after Carter departed to appear in the soap opera Ryan's Hope in 1978.

A year later, Project #9 was brought back to the table, after catching the interest of successful Broadway director/producer/choreographer Michael Bennett. Ralph and Devine returned, and Bennett had Eyen, who was to direct, begin workshopping Big Dreams, as the musical was now known. Joining the cast at this time were Ben Harney, Obba Babatunde, Cleavant Derricks, and twenty-year-old gospel singer Jennifer Holliday as Carter's replacement (after Carter accepted an offer from NBC to star in Gimme a Break). However, Holliday left the project during the workshopping phase, as she disliked the material and was upset that her character, Effie White, died at the conclusion of the first act. Eyen, Bennett, and Krieger continued to iron out the story and songs. Cheryl Gaines and Phyllis Hyman were both considered as replacements for Holliday.

After two mildly successful workshops which included actress Jenifer Lewis as Effie, Holliday returned to the project, now known as Dream Girls. However, she found Effie's role had been reduced significantly in favor of Sheryl Lee Ralph's Deena character, and Holliday eventually quit the project again. After acquiring funding from music industry mogul David Geffen and fellow co-financiers ABC Entertainment, Metromedia, and the Shubert family, Bennett called Holliday back and agreed to rewrite the show's second act and build up her character.[3]

The original Broadway production of Dreamgirls was staged at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. It 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.

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).[4] Holliday's recording of Effie's solo "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was a #1 single on the Billboard R&B charts in 1982. For the Dreamgirls original cast recording, the producers decided to present the complex musical sequences as individual songs, cutting approximately half of the score. The cast recording won two Grammy awards, Best Musical Album and Best Vocal Performance for Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going".

Phylicia Rashad (then known as Phylicia Ayers-Allen), later famous as Bill Cosby's TV wife on The Cosby Show, was a member of the musical's company. Rashad was also Sheryl Lee Ralph's understudy; but when Ralph left the production, Rashad was not offered her role, and subsequently left the cast.

[edit] Dreamgirls "On the Road" and Broadway revival

Michael Bennett took Dreamgirls on an abbreviated national tour in 1983, with Jennifer Holliday remaining as Effie, but with Larry Riley, Linda Leilani Brown, Arnetia Walker, Lawrence Clayton, and Cleavant Derricks' twin brother Clinton Derricks-Carroll as her co-stars. Because of high costs, only three cities were played before the road production was dissolved. A second tour began in 1985, with Sharon Brown as Effie. By 1987, Lillias White, Jennifer Holliday's original understudy, had taken over the role, and the tour ended with a Broadway revival at the Ambassador Theatre. By this time, Michael Bennett had fallen ill due to AIDS-related complications, and he died on July 2, 1987.

After its success on Broadway, Dreamgirls has been frequently produced and presented. A 2001 Broadway 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, Michigan, which was Motown's most successful group act during the 1960s.[5] Effie White is based on Florence Ballard, original lead singer of the Supremes; the character's vocal stylings and personality are based upon Aretha Franklin and 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 representative of soul singers such as James Brown, Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, and Jackie Wilson. 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 line-up 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.

Michael Bennett, Henry Krieger, Tom Eyen, and the Dreamgirls producers denied and downplayed the connections between the musical's plot and the Supremes' life stories, 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 through his Geffen Pictures company. Although the film was announced several times, with singers such as Whitney Houston (as Deena), Lauryn Hill (another Deena candidate), and Kelly Price (as Effie) tapped to star, the studio eventually abandoned the project.[6] Geffen eventually leased the rights to DreamWorks SKG, a company he co-founded, and Paramount Pictures in 2004. Laurence Mark served as producer of the DreamWorks/Paramount adaptation of Dreamgirls, written and directed by Bill Condon, who had earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay adaptation of Chicago.

The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx as Curtis, Beyoncé Knowles as Deena, Eddie Murphy as Jimmy, Danny Glover as Marty, Jennifer Hudson as Effie, Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell, Keith Robinson as C.C., Sharon Leal as Michelle, and Hinton Battle as Wayne. Dreamgirls was first exhibited in special ten-day road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006. Subsequently, the film went into national release on December 25, 2006.[7] Loretta Devine, who originated the Lorrell role, has a cameo role as a jazz singer in the film. Two other alumni of the Broadway production - Hinton Battle (a James "Thunder" Early replacement) and Yvette Cason (Charlene; Effie White understudy) - also appear. While much of the material remains the same as that of the stage musical, some of the stage musical's songs (most notably "Ain't No Party") were removed, and four new songs were added. A number of changes were made to the story as well, including the additions of more overt references to The Supremes and Motown, and the relocation of the story's main setting from Chicago to Detroit. The film won two Academy Awards. One for Best Sound Editing and the other for Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson. It was nominated for six others including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Supporting Actor for Eddie Murphy and Best Original Song three times for "Listen", "Love You I Do" and "Patience".

To give the story more exposure for the upcoming film release, DreamWorks Pictures and the licensee of the original play, The Tams-Witmark Music Library, announced that they would pay 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. As a result, more than fifty high schools, colleges, community theaters, and other non-commercial theater entities staged productions of Dreamgirls in 2006, and DreamWorks spent up to $250,000 subsidizing the licensing. [8]

[edit] Opening night cast

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Tony Awards

Wins:

  • 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:

[edit] Drama Desk Awards

Wins:

  • 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] Sample

"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Tom Eyen denied that he had the Supremes in mind when he wrote the book. "I didn’t grow up with the Supremes, I grew up with the Shirelles. Dreamgirls isn’t about any one group. It’s a cavalcade of black Motown singers, ...all larger than life." retrieved February 27, 2007.
  2. ^ One Singular Sensation: The Michael Bennett Story, by Kevin Kelly, Doubleday, 1990
  3. ^ Hill, Jeremy. "Pre-Broadway. Dreamgirls: Your Virtual Coffee Table Book of the Musical.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Hill, Jeremy. "Film Version (2006): History". Dreamgirls: Your Virtual Coffee Table Book of the Musical.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Olsen, Mark (Dec. 12, 2006). "One stage of film's marketing is on stage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-et-dreamgirls12dec12,0,693678.story on December 15, 2006

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Awards
Preceded by
Woman of the Year
by Peter Stone		 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
1982
by Tom Eyen		 Succeeded by
Cats
by T. S. Eliot
Languages