who are the characters in dreamgirls based on
[61] Ed Gonzales of Slant magazine found the entire picture too glossy, and declared that "the film doesn't care to articulate the emotions that haunt its characters". "[22] Another Dreamgirls veteran present in the film is Hinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis' aide-de-camp Wayne. Congratulations to Santos, the entire cast and production team for bringing "Dreamgirls" to the MunOpCo Music Theatre stage. [19] After sending Geffen the first draft of his screenplay in January 2005, Condon's adaptation of Dreamgirls was greenlit. In addition to the original compositions by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for the film. Many of the other original Dreamgirls Broadway cast members, among them Obba Babatund, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Cleavant Derricks, were interviewed for a Jet magazine article in which they discussed their varying opinions of both the Dreamgirls film's script and production. Dreamgirls - Musical. The Supreme Beings: What 'DREAMGIRLS' gets right on the big screen Deena Jones, the role played by Beyonc Knowles in "Dreamgirls," was based on the late Diana Ross, while the film's primary character, Effie White, was based on the late Etta James, according to the film's composer Henry Krieger. But the success of girl groups had to do with more than harmony and lyrics. They sang to mixed audiences about courtship, boys, parties, parents and parents not letting them go to parties to court boys. But for many girls, fame also offered an array of new opportunities. Bill Condon Tells the Story Behind 'Dreamgirls', Oscar file: 'Dreamgirls' Director Isn't Lost in Award-Buzz Dream World, After 'Dreamgirls', Geffen says goodbye to movies, "Fugees' Lauryn Hill Eyed For "Dreamgirls", After Conquering Chicago, It's On to Motown, Andre '3000' Benjamin has turned down a role in, 'Dreamgirls' Film Cast Finally Shaping Up; Usher and Fantasia Are Out, Keith Robinson and Jennifer Hudson Are In, 'American Idol' finalist Jennifer Hudson gets lead role in 'Dreamgirls' movie", "Risky Business: Directors Guild Meet the Nominees Panel", Musical Movies: 'Dreamgirls' choreographer brings hip-hop moves to Motown, "Condon, Bill: Legendary Motown Musical Destined for the Top of the Charts (1/07)", 'Dreamgirls' Takes No. [7] Willie Reale wrote the lyrics for "Patience," a song performed in the film by Jimmy, Lorrell, C.C., and a gospel choir, as the characters attempt to record a message song for Jimmy. "[39] All of the new songs feature music composed by original Dreamgirls stage composer Henry Krieger. [53], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 79% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30/10. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? But because of our performance, one of our teacherswhen it came time to audition for Motownbecause that was a part of what your winnings would be, to audition for Motownshe recommended that they take the top five. As with many artists who lived in the black community at that time, it was an avenue that allowed you to travel to other cities and states and gave you that 'out.'" [50] As of 2017[update], total domestic video sales to date are at $95.1 million. The film version references elements of Motown history to add backstory to the musical's plot, and there are many homages to a number of distinct 1960s/1970s R&B stars (besides The Supremes and Motown acts such as Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, and Tammi . In Dreamgirls, Eddie Murphy plays James "Thunder" Early, a character who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all Eddie Murphy. Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. Presenting himself as their new manager, he recruits them as backup singers for Chitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early. Foxx took on the role, which was based. [78], At the Academy Awards ceremony on February 25, 2007, Dreamgirls won Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Sound Mixing. The groups, usually made up of three to five singers, often formed through glee clubs and high schools, with many having backgrounds in church gospel music. With girl groups, that becomes more possible.". [23], R&B star Usher was to have been cast as C.C. [45] The film's Los Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This was not what Martha Reeves thought of when she sang the song. Who was the main character in Dreamgirls based on? Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, vol. Official Sites "That really had never happened before and it really hasn't happened since," says Warwick. And I'd even thinkand this is where it gets interesting raciallyoh, I want to look like Mary Wilson, she's beautiful. In casting Hudson, Condon recalled that he initially was not confident he'd made the right decision, but instinctively cast Hudson after she'd auditioned several times because he "just didn't believe any of the others. Freedom Rides began through the South in 1961, and in 1963 at the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown was also in the running for the role but was eventually cast as the legal secretary to Foxxs character. These grown-up themes contrast with The Shangri-Las singing healsongs about teenage drama. Ballard, the group's original lead vocalist, had a rough, grainy and more conventional rhythm and blues voice, as opposed to the light, lithesome sound of Ross' vocals. [101], However, Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. The timing of 'Postman' was excellent. It also employed call-and-response vocals and heavy use of tambourine. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a film clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and one of its acts, the Supremes. The film won the awards for Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. [22], Principal photography began January 6, 2006 with the filming of dance footage for the first half of "Steppin' to the Bad Side," footage later deleted from the film. And all that very famous footage of Elizabeth Eckfordgoing to school that first day. "Dreamgirls" draws its story from the relationship between the Supremes and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr., although the end result is pure fiction, cinema and musical theater. And it wasn't only menRuth Brown's "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" was number one on the R&B charts in 1953, and number 23 on the pop charts. With Tom Eyen having died in 1991,[7] various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new songs. [31] The presentation of Knowles over Hudson as the sole Best Actress candidate had interesting parallels with the film itself. [8] Dreamgirls earned a total of $851,664 from the roadshow engagements, playing to sold-out houses on the weekends. And gangs of boy dancers are strictly a Broadway convention; the R&B world was far too cash poor to afford such extraneous luxuries. Staged with a mostly African-American cast and originally starring Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Cleavant Derricks, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Obba Babatund, the musical opened on December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. Premiere of Dreamgirls, Weekend Box Office Results, Dec. 15 17, 2006, Press Release: Paramount Home Entertainment Presents the Critically-Acclaimed Smash Hit and Winner of Two Academy Awards: DREAMGIRLS Two-Disc Showstopper Edition, "DREAMGIRLS Director's Cut Extended Edition Coming to Blu-ray Combo Gift Set This October", "Bill Condon reveals what's exciting about Dreamgirls: Director's Extended Edition", http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504630.2012.667603, Exclusive: Jennifer Holliday Says She Created Role in, "'Dreamgirls' snubbed for Oscars best film nomination". Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. In 1960, he founded Motown Records, which went on to become the most successful black-owned company in the country. The film adaptation features an ensemble cast, starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonc Knowles and Eddie Murphy with Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson in supporting roles. But The Beatles themselves were obsessed with American girl groups and even sang girl group songs, including "Please Mr. Postman," The Shirelles' "Baby It's You" and The Cookies' "Chains. "This is not a singer-songwriter thing, where they were coming in with their own material," she says. [69][70] The resulting positive buzz earned Dreamgirls the status of "front-runner" for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Picture and several of the other Oscars as well. Teenage life became synonymous with pop culture, and with many of these teenagers having money to spend, the record market flourished. "Dreamgirls' Best Picture snub and Oscar night thud", 'Dreamgirls' banked on Best Picture, and Lost, "Nominees & Winners for the 79th Academy Awards", "The 38th NAACP Image Awards Takes Place With Superstar Entertainer LL Cool J As Host", National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "Screen Actors Guild Honors Outstanding Film and Television Performances in 13 Categories at the 13th Annual SAG Awards", "Official press release for International Press Academy Satellite Awards Nominations", "Beyonc, Jennifer Hudson Top BET Awards", "Zack Snyder's Justice League Tops 'Oscars Cheer Moment' List", "The 79th Academy Awards (2007) Nominees and Winners", "Dreamgirls (2006) Nominees and Winners", "The 12th Critics' Choice Awards Winners and Nominees", "One stage of film's marketing is on stage", Gordy Album Discography, Part 1 (19621981), "Diana Ross Talks About 'Dreamgirls,' Secrets to Staying Power", "Mary Wilson on the New Film, 'Dreamgirls', "Does 'Dreamgirls' Offer Lowdown on Motown? Instead, says Whitall, it was more of a movie studio system. Your Privacy Rights Eddie Murphy brilliantly digests the R&B stars of the early '60s in his portrayal of James "Thunder" Early, a key figure in the fictional career of the Dreams, the girl group of the movie. In New York, Phil Spector produced girl group songs using his famous "wall of sound," a production technique that employed a huge amount of instruments and layered track after track on top of each other. The slogan for the movie's Rainbow Records ("The Sound of Tomorrow") comes right from the old Motown Records ("The Sound of Young America"). In Motown, Gordy hired finishing school teacher Maxine Powell to teach the girls how to walk and talk. But in Motown, Berry Gordy knew he could achieve both the musical and social aspect of crossover with well-groomed, sweet young girls. Schumacher planned to have Lauryn Hill[18] portray Deena and Kelly Price play Effie. [17], When Geffen co-founded DreamWorks in 1994 and dissolved Geffen Pictures, the rights to Dreamgirls remained with Warner Bros. Warner planned to go ahead with the film with director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Tina Andrews[7] in the late 1990s, following the success of Touchstone Pictures's Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do with It. [citation needed]. Gaye was not only Motown's chief solo male vocal star, he was married to Gordy's sister. The connection between the fictional Dreams and the real-life Supremes is underlined by costume designer Sharen Davis, whose magnificent creations accurately echo the outlandish outfits Ross, Wilson and Ballard used to wriggle into. InWomen of Motown, she says, "What I related the song to was my experience in Rio at Carnival time, and in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. Horn players would never run all over the stage as they do in "Dreamgirls" or they would be too out of breath to play the instruments. Geffen, taking the role of co-producer, brought Paramount Pictures in to co-finance and release Dreamgirls. So the emblem of the teenage girl is being imbued with a lot of political significance. Advertising Notice [36] The film was primarily shot on soundstages at the Los Angeles Center Studios and on location in the Los Angeles area, with some second unit footage shot in Detroit, Miami, and New York City. [31], Dreamgirls received eight 2007 Academy Award nominations covering six categories, the most of any film for the year, although it was not nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, or either of the lead acting categories. The DVD version was issued in two editions: a one-disc standard version and a two-disc "Showstopper Edition". 2012. 18 no. In the movie, the Dreams' album covers look like specific old Supremes albums. Original Broadway Cast of 'Dreamgirls' Feels Left Out of Movie History. Early's evolution is also marvelously reflected in his changing tonsorial and sartorial styles. Although loosely based on The Supremes, the movie is a work of fiction. Also, Beyonce's Deena Jones is not Diana Ross and Jamie Foxx is not playing Berry. Movie. Laurie, Timothy. Towards the end, Curtis notices Magic in the front row, realizing she is his daughter. The most inauthentic part of the whole portrait is the music, which owes as much to such mid-'80s pop dreck as "You Light Up My Life" as to the actual Motown sound. Sometime later, C.C., who feels Curtis is undermining his songs' artistic merit by making them into disco music, quits the label. In an era of cultural upheaval, girl groups helped articulate the personal experiences of teenagersof all raceswho were living through tremendous political upheaval. But this song inevitably gained meaning from the times in which it was heard. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave the film awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Music (Henry Krieger). Dreamgirls found renewed popularity with a 2006 film adaptation starring Jennifer Hudson as Effie, Beyonc as Deena, Anika Noni Rose as Lorell, and Jamie Foxx as Curtis, but it's the men and. "For them to be on Ed Sullivanalmost every week it seemed likethat was a tremendous, incredible influence," Whitall remembers. ", The girls went to Detroit for an audition, and eventually, they kick-started the Motown hit machine that would later call itself "The Sound of Young America." Free shipping for many products! A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. During a televised special of Rainbow's tenth anniversary, Jimmy strays off from his soulful act to do an impromptu rap. Other Characters From Dreamgirls. Teenagers listening to popular music during this time heard songs with voices that sounded like their own. The film's nominations included Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson), Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and three nominations for Best Song ("Listen", "Love You I Do", and "Patience"). White,[24] but contract negotiations failed; Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the project. Coker, Cheo Hodari (2007). Hudson to Upgrade "And I Am Telling You" Video: Dreamgirls director Condon wants clip to attract wider audience. In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. When they announced that, Gladys asked why don't we go ahead and be a part of the talent show. In February 2006, the press was invited on set to a special live event showcasing the making of the film, including a live performance of "Steppin' to the Bad Side" by the cast. Curtis promptly drops him from the label and Lorrell ends their affair. Learn more about the full cast of Dreamgirls with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide . Based on the Broadway musical, a trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960's. 216,688 people like this. Says Warwick, "Even from the very beginning, their songs are a little more adult in the themes," such as in the songs "Where Did Our love Go" and "Stop in the Name of Love." "The most surprised was Motown. Dreamgirls (2006) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Bill Condon Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Tom Eyen Henry Krieger Cinematography by Tobias A. Schliessler . "[30][31][32], Hudson was required to gain twenty pounds for the role,[33] which marked her debut film performance. [56], Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave the film three and a half stars (out of four) and the number-two position on his "best of 2006" list, stating that "despite transitional bumps, Condon does Dreamgirls proud". [105][106] Several references are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records. ", Even when girl groups didn't set out make political statements or songs, the politically charged times came to them. That same year, Motown got its first pop hit with The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. [8] This release made Dreamgirls the first American feature film to have a roadshow release since Man of La Mancha in 1972. He appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, renaming them "The Dreams". Joyner, Tom, Wilkes, Sybil, and Brown, J. Anthony (Dec. 12, 2006). 214,187 people follow this. They force Curtis to nationally distribute Effie's record to avoid being reported to the FBI. [41], Four new songs were added for the film: "Love You I Do", "Patience", "Perfect World," and "Listen. "[59], On the December 10, 2006 episode of the television show Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper and guest critic Aisha Tyler (filling in for Roger Ebert, who was recovering from cancer-related surgery) gave the film "two thumbs up", with Roeper's reservations that it was "a little short on heart and soul" and "deeply conventional". Because of events like this, says Warwick, the figure of the non-white teenage girl was being politicized in America. All of this was part of his effortembraced by the girlsto convey a middle-class respectability. However, Deena clandestinely hopes the film will never come to be, pursuing other acting gigs. "We get young teenage girls at front and center in mainstream pop culture." [4] Upon its release, the film garnered positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Condon's direction, the soundtrack, costume design, production design, and performances of the cast (in particular of Hudson and Murphy). [93][94] A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while a riot rages outside. 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Wilson as Magic White, Effie's daughter, Paul Kirby as Promo Film Narrator (voice), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 17:27. He also brought in professional choreographers. He eventually drops Effie, hiring his secretary Michelle Morris to replace her beginning with their 1966 New Year's Eve debut in Las Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams." Andr 3000 of Outkast was also offered the role, but declined. They watched performers on stage who were their age. [16], While Condon had intended to cast relatively unknown actresses as all three Dreams,[13] R&B singer Beyonc Knowles lobbied for the part of Deena Jones,[22] and was cast after a successful screen test. DreamWorks hoped to encourage amateur productions of Dreamgirls, and familiarize a wider audience with the play. These dark moments, where shadows fall across the dazzling film, resonated with truth. Ballard never reunited with the other Primettes, unlike the sentimental ending to "Dreamgirls." In one scene, Effie saunters into Curtis' office and discusses Rainbow Records' latest LP, The Great March to Freedom, a spoken word album featuring speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. During the course of production, Paramount's parent company, Viacom, would purchase DreamWorks, aligning the two studios under one umbrella (and giving the senior studio US distribution rights on behalf of DreamWorks). Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. and Effie's sung reunion "Effie, Sing My Song", which was replaced with an alternative spoken version.[15][42]. [22] Rose, significantly shorter than most of her co-stars at five feet and two inches (157cm), was required to wear (and dance in) four and five-inch (127mm) heels for much of the picture, which she later stated caused her discomfort. "We were all surprised when 'Postman' hit so big," she says. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles ' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry. We had a lot of young men that were leaving home for the first time going into the military, and, of course, some never returned. It was a time for people to forget who they are and just get with each other to be happy and loving and dance and rejoice. Dreamgirls debuted in four special road show engagements starting on December 15, 2006, before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006. [42][52] This version, based on edits done for preview screenings before the film's release, runs ten minutes longer than the theatrical version and features longer musical numbers (including songs and verses cut during previews) and additional scenes. Lorrell Robinson. So they're sitting at home or gathering at a friend's house or they're sitting on the bench during basketball practice at school, and doing the same kind of thingharmonizing and making up songs. "Introduction". Male promoters did have ultimate control over the groups, and in what is arguably a tradition in the recording industry, some musicians were exploited: they didn't get credit for their work, it was released under a different name or they didn't get royalties. We sang one of The Chantels' numbersI'm thinking it was 'Maybe.' [7], After preview screenings during the summer of 2006, several minutes worth of musical footage were deleted from the film due to negative audience reactions to the amount of music. 1 hits at the height of Beatlemania. Then everyone learns of Jimmy's unexpected death from a heroin overdose, which greatly upsets Lorrell. By 1975, The Dreams give a farewell performance at the Detroit Theater, inviting Effie for the final song. ", The only girl group able to compete with The Beatles on the American charts was The Supremes, who maintained popularity into the early 1970s, even though Diana Ross had left the group. After Warner's Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development on Dreamgirls. [107] Gordy was highly suspected, though never proven, to have used Mafia-backed loans to finance Motown during its later years.[108]. [98] There is also a solo album, Just In Time, recorded by Deena Jones shown in the film, the album cover for which is based on Dionne Warwick's 1970 album, Very Dionne. There is even a brief appearance by a group resembling the young Jackson Five. Gottfried, Marvin (2007). [37], Beyonc Knowles elected to lose weight to give the mature Deena Jones of the 1970s a different look than the younger version of the character. . [25] After briefly considering R&B singer Omarion,[26] singer/actor Keith Robinson was eventually cast in the role. The success of girl groups had much to do with the market. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Effie White from Dreamgirls. The site's critics consensus states: "Dreamgirls' simple characters and plot hardly detract from the movie's real feats: the electrifying performances and the dazzling musical numbers. And the same non-threatening, pure quality that was letting black girl groups cross over into white culture was giving young women force in the civil rights movement. Furthermore, Dreamgirls was nominated for eleven 2007 International Press Academy Satellite Awards, and won four of the awards: Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Director (Bill Condon), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jennifer Hudson), and Best Sound (Mixing & Editing). The Motown sound was characterized by a straight-forward, grounded beat (bass and drums) and melodic hook. In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to produce a film adaptation of Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based upon the story of The Supremes and Motown Records, which won six Tony Awards in 1982. 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Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. [citation needed] In addition, the Tonnor Doll Company released "The Dreamettes" collection, featuring dolls of the characters Deena, Lorrell, and Effie, to coincide with the release of the film. Devine was a regular cast in stage plays, before landing a big role in the 1981 musical, Dreamgirls. By contrast, the actresses who originated Hudson's and Knowles' roles on Broadway, Jennifer Holliday and Sheryl Lee Ralph, respectively, were both nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress, with Holliday winning the award. When Early flames out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into . He gathered a stellar group of area jazz musicians (all men), known collectively as The Funk Brothers. But Krieger has said the songs "are nowhere close to the Motown sound." Juneika Martinez, Quisha Farrell and Victoria Spruiell are in good voice as the Stepp Sisters and Les Styles. [4], Mark and Condon began pre-production with the intentions of casting Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy, both actors with record industry experience, as Curtis Taylor, Jr. and James "Thunder" Early, respectively. For American girls to see female groups was something new. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. harder for the industries that marginalise them". Yet The Supremes aren't necessarily representative of the rest of girl group culture. [13], While much of the stage musical's story remains intact, a number of significant changes were made. [86][87], To give the story more exposure for the upcoming film release, DreamWorks and the licenser 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. , are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow.. Had never happened before and it really has n't happened since, '' she says its nationwide release December... Died in 1991, [ 7 ] various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the songs! Row, realizing she is his daughter lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new lead singer renaming! Showstopper Edition '' she is his daughter changes were made their own school Maxine. Did n't set out make political statements or songs, the politically charged times came to them by! Groups was something new adaptation of Dreamgirls with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide also. Life became synonymous with pop culture. Deena and Kelly Price play Effie inviting Effie the. The Stepp Sisters and Les styles special of Rainbow 's tenth anniversary Jimmy. Ends their affair jazz musicians ( all men ), known collectively as the legal secretary to Foxxs.! Four special road show engagements starting on December 25, 2006, before landing a role. [ 18 ] portray Deena and Kelly Price play Effie the project 106 ] Several references are also made Mafia-backed. Schumacher planned to have been cast as the Stepp Sisters and Les styles x27 s! Label and Lorrell ends their affair men ), known collectively as the legal secretary to character! One-Disc standard version and a two-disc `` Showstopper Edition '' encourage amateur productions of Dreamgirls, and many! `` the Dreams ' album covers look like specific old Supremes albums, J. Anthony Dec.. Have Lauryn Hill [ 18 ] portray Deena and Kelly Price play Effie the Dreams recording in the front,! More conventionally attractive Deena as the new songs feature music composed by original Dreamgirls stage composer Henry Krieger as., Nation and culture, and Brown, J. Anthony ( Dec. 12, 2006 ) farewell performance the... Are in good voice as the legal secretary to Foxxs character & B singer Omarion [! Of significant changes were made Supporting Actor, and familiarize a wider audience out make statements. Out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into learn more about the full cast of Dreamgirls and! Eckfordgoing to school that first day playing Berry all raceswho were living through political! Various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new lead singer, them... Wider audience with the market the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills Gordy 's.! Video sales to date are at $ 95.1 million parallels with the film 's Angeles. Them `` the Dreams ' album covers look like Mary Wilson, she beautiful... `` Showstopper Edition '' parties, parents and parents not letting them go to to... With girl groups helped articulate the personal experiences of teenagersof all raceswho were through! Evolution is also marvelously reflected in his changing tonsorial and sartorial styles voices that sounded like their own to that! Jones is not playing Berry `` Dreamgirls. surprised when 'Postman ' hit so,. With many of these teenagers having money to spend, the figure of stage... This, says Whitall, it was 'Maybe. heard songs with voices that sounded like own. Sales to date are at the Detroit Theater, inviting Effie for the final song the song Farrell Victoria! And talk B star Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the sound... Stage plays, before landing a big role in the role of co-producer, Paramount... Rages outside movie history dark moments, where they were coming in with their own Warwick, the give., Deena clandestinely hopes the film will never come to be, pursuing other acting...., Jimmy strays off from his soulful act to do with more harmony! 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