[63], Many reviews, regardless of their overall opinion of the film, cited Hudson's and Murphy's performances as standouts, with Travers proclaiming Murphy's performance of "Jimmy's Rap" as "his finest screen moment. In an era of cultural upheaval, girl groups helped articulate the personal experiences of teenagersof all raceswho were living through tremendous political upheaval. In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. They watched performers on stage who were their age. In the 1950s, Chuck Berry had songs at the top of the R&B and pop charts, as did Little Richard. Gordy also packaged Gaye, at one point, as a supper club entertainer -- a common strategy for R&B performers hoping to cross over to white audiences in those days -- a scene repeated in the movie with Early. In 1960, he founded Motown Records, which went on to become the most successful black-owned company in the country. dreamgirls.movie. 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." Diana Ross left the Supremes in 1970 to pursue other projects such as film work, in 1972 she starred in her first motion picture, the Motown-produced Lady Sings the Blues. For instance, "Please Mr. Postman" is in some ways a classic girl group song, with a girl waiting for a letter from a boy. During a televised special of Rainbow's tenth anniversary, Jimmy strays off from his soulful act to do an impromptu rap. Crossing Color Lines. (Black Public Relations Wire) ", Christian, Margena A (Dec. 7, 2006). Everywhere they went on tour that summer, there were riots. Then everyone learns of Jimmy's unexpected death from a heroin overdose, which greatly upsets Lorrell. 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. | [57][58] David Rooney of Variety reported that the film featured "tremendously exciting musical sequences" and that "after The Phantom of the Opera, Rent and The Producers botched the transfer from stage to screen, Dreamgirls gets it right. [7] The film marks the acting debut of Hudson, a former American Idol contestant. [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. [84] The Dreamgirls soundtrack was also nominated for the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album. 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? [45] The film's Los Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills. Juneika Martinez, Quisha Farrell and Victoria Spruiell are in good voice as the Stepp Sisters and Les Styles. Deena Jones is based on the Supremes' lead singer Diana Ross and two former Supremes members Scherrie Payne and Jean Terrell. But then again, hindsight is that there was a lot going on when 'Postman' was released. Detroit, the early 1960s. Answer. In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. 2012. What is the Dreamgirls story based on? "Creative License or 'Sour Grapes'? They were able to transition into becoming adults with greater ease.". 2. Instead the score is standard issue Broadway fare, decorated with a few drumbeats and occasional light disco drive, that stays heavy on narrative subtext, allowing the songs to comment on the story line. With girl groups, that becomes more possible.". The movie, based on the 1981 Broadway play, tells the story of a small black record label and its star singers whose success crosses over to the pop charts. [60] Roeper still enjoyed the film, noting that Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" as the "show-stopping moment of any film of 2006" and very much enjoyed Murphy's performance as well, remarking that "people are going to love this film. We sang one of The Chantels' numbersI'm thinking it was 'Maybe.' Gottfried, Marvin (2007). | Dreamgirls characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. [19] The two had dinner with Geffen and successfully convinced him to allow Condon to write a screenplay for Dreamgirls. ", It wasn't uncommon for a group to get its big break at a high school talent show or, like The Dreamettes in the movie Dreamgirls, at a local talent contest. Dreamgirls is the first live-action film to receive three nominations for Best Song; previously the Disney animated features Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Lion King (1994) had each received three Academy Award nominations for Best Song; Enchanted (2007) has since repeated the feat. "[65], Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role of Effie onstage, expressed her disappointment at not being involved in the film project in several TV, radio, and print interviews. [104], The payola scheme used in the film's script, to which Robinson took offense, is identical to the payola scheme allegedly used by Gordy and the other Motown executives, according to sworn court depositions from Motown executive Michael Lushka, offered during the litigation between the label and its chief creative team, HollandDozierHolland. Offstage, Effie falls in love with Curtis while the married Jimmy does likewise with Lorrell. The girls rarely wrote their own songs, but neither did the male groups of the time. Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. The Dreams' hometownthe setting for much of the actionwas moved from Chicago to Detroit, the real-life hometown of The Supremes and Motown Records. [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. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Effie White from Dreamgirls. Khylah Eure, Mariah Goiran, Clara Alford and Kayla Carrington are tremendous as Featured Dancers. [36] The award-winning Broadway lighting team of Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer were brought in to create theatrical lighting techniques for the film's musical numbers. But for many girls, fame also offered an array of new opportunities. "Dreamgirls" is the fictionalized story of the creation of The Supremes and the rise of Berry Gordy and Motown. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. This is a hit with the audience until Jimmy goes too far and drops his pants. Delivery time is estimated using our proprietary method which is based on the buyer's proximity to the item location, the shipping service selected, the . Curtis Taylor, Jr. represents Motown Founder Berry Gordy. Dreamgirls also garnered Screen Actors Guild Awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), as well as a nomination for its ensemble cast. When my brother went into the military, I know how anxious I or my mother or sister would be looking for a letter or something like that from him. . [13], While much of the stage musical's story remains intact, a number of significant changes were made. But they also sang about love and crushes, mostly from the position of a patiently waiting, yearning girl. This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963. Though Effie defiantly and desperately appeals to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams abandon her, forging ahead to stardom. ", Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture or Television, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards, "STAGE TO SCREENS: "Dreamgirls" Composer Krieger and Co-Star Rose; Plus David Warren". Dreamgirls premiered on December 4, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, where it received a standing ovation. Terms of Use "[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". But in Motown, Berry Gordy knew he could achieve both the musical and social aspect of crossover with well-groomed, sweet young girls. [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. These dark moments, where shadows fall across the dazzling film, resonated with truth. Joyner, Tom, Wilkes, Sybil, and Brown, J. Anthony (Dec. 12, 2006). Wake Me Up from this 'Dreamgirls' nightmare! In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. [38], Shooting was completed in the early-morning hours of April 8, 2006, after four days were spent shooting Jennifer Hudson's musical number "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", which had purposefully been saved until the end of the shoot. Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. "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. The real story of the 1960s girl groups, however, changed American music forever. The film, and the original Broadway musical, are based heavily on The Supremes (later known as "Diana Ross & The Supremes"). [102] He repeated these concerns in a later interview with Access Hollywood, adding that he felt DreamWorks and Paramount owed Gordy an apology. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. Based on his/her attributes, we recommend you consider these audition pieces! Girl groups subject matter articulated a common teenage experience, regardless of race, even as the culture around them was slow to catch up. They sang to mixed audiences about courtship, boys, parties, parents and parents not letting them go to parties to court boys. [66] Holliday in particular objected to the fact that her 1982 recording of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was used in an early Dreamgirls film teaser trailer created before production began. Yet before girl groups, it was easier for a song to cross over than for artists themselves to do, says Warwick. [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". [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. [85], In February 2022, Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was named one of the five finalists for Oscars Cheer Moment as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Oscars Fan Favorite" contest, finishing in fourth place. And he did have a long-standing affair with Ross. Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions were issued in two-disc formats. Other Characters From Dreamgirls. [71], Following the success of the Cannes screening, DreamWorks and Paramount began a widespread "For Your Consideration" advertisement campaign, raising several eyebrows by demoting Jennifer Hudson to consideration for Best Supporting Actress and presenting Beyonc Knowles as the sole Best Actress candidate, as opposed to having both compete for Best Actress awards. [19] Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Terrence Howard were among the other actors also approached to play Curtis. Cast & Crew; Dreamgirls - Full Cast & Crew. The Ronettes, who were biracial, also became famous for their bad-girl short skirts, high-piled hair and thick eyeliner. Hudson to Upgrade "And I Am Telling You" Video: Dreamgirls director Condon wants clip to attract wider audience. Your Privacy Rights "Come and get these memories: gender, history and racial uplift in Bill Condon's Dreamgirls". . . Dreamgirls Directed by Bill Condon Produced by Laurence Mark Written by Bill Condon Based on Dreamgirls by Henry Krieger Tom Eyen Starring Jamie Foxx Beyonc Knowles Eddie Murphy Danny Glover Anika Noni Rose Keith Robinson Jennifer Hudson Music by Stephen Trask Cinematography Tobias A. Schliessler Editing by Virginia Katz Studio Yet The Supremes aren't necessarily representative of the rest of girl group culture. He feels Effie's plus size figure and distinctive, soulful voice will not attract white audiences, (as Deena's voice, although more basic and generic, is more marketable). [92], The Dreamgirls novelization was written by African-American novelist Denene Millner, and adapts the film's official script in chapter form, along with fourteen pages of photographs from the film. It was about the whole performancehow they moved, the clothes they wore, how big their hair was. [17], DreamWorks' Dreamgirls adaptation came about after the film version of the Broadway musical Chicago was a success at both the box office and the Academy Awards. [46], Similar to the releases of older Hollywood musicals such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story, Dreamgirls debuted with three special ten-day roadshow engagements beginning on December 15, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the AMC Metreon 15 in San Francisco. [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. Outside of the U.S., Dreamgirls opened in Australia on January 18, and in the United Kingdom on February 2. But the success of girl groups had to do with more than harmony and lyrics. [16] The roles of many of the characters were related more closely to their real-life inspirations, following a suggestion by Geffen. InWomen of Motown, The Marvelettes' Schaffner says, "I loved going on the road. [6] The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive. "At Motown, The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes, groups like that, are much more clearly identified as teenagers," she says, "and arguably that's why The Supremes had more longevity. [80] It was also named as one of the American Film Institute's top ten films of 2006. And all that very famous footage of Elizabeth Eckfordgoing to school that first day. 'Dreamgirls' Gets Standing Ovations, Cheers, Loretta Devine & Sheryl Lee Ralph Attend L.A. Based on the rise of the 1960s Motown girl-group trio The Supremes and Motown impresario Berry Gordy Jr., the 1982 Tony-winning hit musical Dreamgirls seemed to be a shoo-in for a movie version. [107] Gordy was highly suspected, though never proven, to have used Mafia-backed loans to finance Motown during its later years.[108]. Advertising Notice Although rehearsals ended just before Christmas 2005, Condon called Hudson back for a week of one-on-one rehearsals, to help her more fully become the "diva" character of Effie. 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. By sticking to a highly publicized diet of water, lemons, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper (also known as the Master Cleanse), Knowles rapidly lost twenty pounds, which she gained back once production ended. [28] Though Barrino emerged as an early frontrunner for the part,[29] Hudson was eventually selected to play Effie, leading Barrino to telephone Hudson and jokingly complain that Hudson "stole [Barrino's] part. "We listen to Pat Boone covering Little Richard songs now and it's just laughable," she says, "but at the time that was a real phenomenon. 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. 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". Screenwriter and director Bill Condon, who wrote Chicago's screenplay, met producer Laurence Mark at a Hollywood holiday party in late 2002, where the two discussed a long-held "dream project" of Condon's adapting Dreamgirls for the screen. Instead, says Whitall, it was more of a movie studio system. Who was the main character in Dreamgirls based on? [97] In a snapshot, Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his show. The production ran into problems when Houston wanted to sing both Deena and Effie's songs (particularly "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"), and the film was eventually abandoned. How many of these performances do you remember? [22] A total of 783 singing actresses auditioned for the role of Effie White, among them American Idol alumnae Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson, former Disney star Raven-Symon, and Broadway stars Capathia Jenkins and Patina Miller. But there are things -- much more important than specific details of time or place -- that the film gets very right, such as record label boss Taylor's cold indifference to the act he now realizes is washed up or Early's heroin overdose death. Dreamgirls plays from 19 November 2016 at the Savoy Theatre. [41], Four new songs were added for the film: "Love You I Do", "Patience", "Perfect World," and "Listen. And I'd even thinkand this is where it gets interesting raciallyoh, I want to look like Mary Wilson, she's beautiful. [105][106] Several references are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records. "[54] Metacritic reports a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 rating, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Dreamgirls was the first DreamWorks film to be issued in a high definition home entertainment format. Congratulations to Santos, the entire cast and production team for bringing "Dreamgirls" to the MunOpCo Music Theatre stage. When Jennifer Hudson won the Golden Globe for her performance as Effie in the film version ( Dreamgirls (2006)), she dedicated the award to Ballard, describing her as "a lady who never got a fair chance". The two-disc version also included a feature-length production documentary, production featurettes, screen tests, animatics, and other previsualization materials and artwork. They're pictured during a routine they'll do on an upcoming Red Skelton television show. 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. As such, Hudson became one of the few actresses ever to win an Oscar for a film debut performance. In a January 25, 2007 interview with NPR, Robinson expressed offense at the film's portrayal of its Berry Gordy analogue, Curtis Taylor Jr., as a "villainous character" who deals in payola and other illegal activities. A black-owned recording company having such a hit was, at that time, revolutionary. "This is not a singer-songwriter thing, where they were coming in with their own material," she says. transform The Dreams into a top-selling mainstream pop group. 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. Learn more about the full cast of Dreamgirls with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide . 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. The Broadway show had been had been partly financed by music mogul turned film producer David Geffen, who retained rights to produce the movie. 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. "For them to be on Ed Sullivanalmost every week it seemed likethat was a tremendous, incredible influence," Whitall remembers. 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. Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Black girl group known as "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. [84], For the opening performance at the 2007 BET Awards on June 26 of that year, Hudson performed a duet of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" with her predecessor, Jennifer Holliday. When Jimmy bombs in front of an all-white Miami Beach supper club audience, Curtis sends him out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes behind to headline in his place. Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content. 1 hits at the height of Beatlemania. The Dreamgirls cast of the Broadway version namely Jennifer Holiday, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine were the original members of "The Dreamettes" (later "The Dreams). By comparison, Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio remained open and active during Detroit's 12th Street Riot in July 1967. and Effie's sung reunion "Effie, Sing My Song", which was replaced with an alternative spoken version.[15][42]. "If you think about the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas in 1967," she says, "of nine black teenagers chosen to integrate the schools, six of them were girls. . See the gallery Photos 536 Known for Dreamgirls 6.6 Effie White 2006 The Secret Life of Bees 7.2 Rosaleen Daise 2008 Sex and the City 5.7 Louise 2008 Respect 6.6 Aretha Franklin 2021 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. Original Broadway Cast of 'Dreamgirls' Feels Left Out of Movie History. "[39] All of the new songs feature music composed by original Dreamgirls stage composer Henry Krieger. "Whereas these teenage boys, in cities like Detroit, can go out on the streets and kind of roam around the neighborhood and sing harmonies with each other, girls aren't so free to do that. They were also among the first black musicians to appear onThe Ed Sullivan Show. Teen Culture. The film won the awards for Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. In Motown, Gordy hired finishing school teacher Maxine Powell to teach the girls how to walk and talk. [8] Dreamgirls earned a total of $851,664 from the roadshow engagements, playing to sold-out houses on the weekends. 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