DREAMGIRLS - Second Act Opener

EDITED: I have it from a very good source that the original second act opener of DREAMGIRLS was changed during the run. According to "my source", it was still the Dreams at the Vegas Hilton, but it was a medley "of sorts" of the Dreams' hits, with a press conference afterwards. When I saw it live, it was a completely different Vegas act, complete with chorus boys and Deena descending from the heavens on the light bridge, and there was no press conference, only a scene with Curtis and C.C. backstage.

Does anyone know the reason why Bennett changed this during the run of the show? Personally, I think the version I saw worked better in the context of the show: it firmly established the "star power" that Deena had obtained through the years. The first version, I thought, was a lot of unnecessary exposition, and didn't really tell you anything you didn't already know (that Effie was out of the group and had disappeared from sight, etc.)

What say you, DREAMGIRLS afficionados?

Updated On: 3/20/06 at 01:56 PM

Blah blah blah.

Re-word your question, delete references to the fact that it's a bootleg, and people will be happy to provide you with an answer, I'm sure.

If I knew the answer, I'd answer it myself now.

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Yeah, the Act Two opener was changed when the L.A. production opened, and Bennett subsequently put it into the Broadway version. He never liked the first version, and I think I even recall reading that he was never entirely satisfied with either version.

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Updated On: 3/20/06 at 02:07 PM

There were actually about a half dozen different Act Two openings for the show (I personally saw 4 or 5). Bennett was never happy with it so he kept restaging it throughout the run. The LA version was just one of the variations. One involved them dancing on a giant staircase, another had them and their dancing boys with suitcases (with bumper stickers of the various places they'd been). And there were others.

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From what I remember, the version I saw had a series of moving platforms (not the towers).

Margo, does that sound correct?

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Updated On: 3/20/06 at 02:47 PM

I think the L.A version is cleaner, clearer way of getting the info you need accross.

The Original B'way 2nd Act had a lot of stuff thrown at the audience, much intersting but ultimately unnessary.

Also, the OB 2nd Act had a kind of "Hits" medly that was kinda sentimental and kinda fell flat. The LA version had a slick and glossy version of the DREAMGIRLS number that showed how how Denna and the DREAMS were now a little harder and less naive.

Those are my thoughts.

Oh, I meant that the platforms moved up and down. I was amazed at how the actresses seamlessly moved around on them.

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Margo, my recollection of it is very vague, but I noticed that it was missing during the 1987 revival.

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Deena Jones, thank you. You described what I saw (but couldn't put into words).

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