When the musical Dreamgirls first opened on Broadway in 1981 it was heralded as a musical- theatre breakthrough.
It broke new ground both in staging and content and went on to win six Tony Awards. The movie, which starred Jennifer Hudson in 2006, won four Oscars and a Golden Globe. The current live production, with an all-South African cast at Montecasino’s Teatro, in Johannesburg proves why Dreamgirls has been enjoyed by so many for so long.
The story is based on a stock idea of a particular era: the showbiz aspirations and successes of past R&B acts such as the Supremes, the Shirelles, James Brown and Jackie Wilson. In 1962 a hopeful girl group named the Dreamettes (lead singer Effie White and backing vocalists Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson) enters the famous Amateur Night talent competition at the Apollo Theatre in New York and unfortunately lose.
But backstage they meet Curtis Taylor Jr, a used-car salesman who becomes the Dreamettes’ manager and gives them their big break when they begin singing backing vocals for James ‘Thunder” Early.
Jimmy Early and the Dream-ettes’ first performance is a success but Curtis convinces Jimmy that they need to move away from traditional R&B and soul towards a more pop market. Things begin to go wrong when a cover version of their first pop-chart hit, Cadillac Car, is sung by a white pop group and their version loses its thunder. The managers resort to payola and bribe deejays to play Jimmy Early and the Dreamettes’ next song, Steppin’ to the Bad Side, and it becomes a major hit. Soon afterwards Jimmy, a married man, begins an affair with Lorrell.
Plum position
Professionally, a major change takes place in the group when Curtis decides that Effie will no longer be the lead singer. The plum position is taken over by Deena. From here on the Dreamettes are given a more sophisticated look and their success is attributed to Effie’s demise.
The story has a universal message, gives insight into the ins and outs of the musical industry in the 1960s and deals with love, betrayal, envy and greed.
Lindiwe Bungane, who plays the lead role as Effie, has a dynamic voice. Bjorn Blignaut, who plays the wild and unpredictable Jimmy, brings energy and humour to the role, and Tracey-Lee Oliver and Candida Mosoma, who play Deena and Lorrell respectively, both give dramatic uplifting performances.
Dreamgirls‘ producer Hazel Feldman has described the work as ‘a story with inspiration and a timeless musical score, in a presentation accepted as international quality”.
Those who enjoy their entertainment on a big and brassy scale will agree. The show has more than 500 costume changes that track the pop couture styles of the 1960s and 1970s. With its now classic score (composed by Henry Krieger and with some original lyrics by Beyoncé Knowles) and its grand scale, Dreamgirls is the kind of family entertainment worth its ticket price. For average Jo’burgers, though, it will have to be a special treat but in the end the investment will be worth it.