DREAMGIRLS score

I've never been impressed with the DREAMGIRLS score, I just can't listen to it.

---

I like most of it, too, which is why I prefaced it with "parts of". Sometimes when Curtis and Deena are singing together is sounds very ackward, though.

I love "When I First Saw You" -- Harney and Ralph's version was released as a single and was a modest hit on the R&B charts (6 weeks). I've also always adored "I Miss You Old Friend."

The Press Conference I think is totally fine (and the melody to "Wonderful" is gorgeous). Jimmy's rap and firing are more plot-advancing recitative than stand-alone songs and work well in that context. It's also, I believe, the first example of rap (which was at its very early beginnings at the time) ever heard on the Broadway stage and for that, was extremely daring for Krieger and Eyen to include.

Sorry, I just don't agree and think that, to date, "Dreamgirls" is one of the most successful examples using contemporary musical idioms (rap, r&b, disco) within a musical theatre context, in the last 40 or so years since rock music began to find a place on Broadway. It's still the ONLY score in the last three decades to spawn a Grammy-winning hit song that reached the number one spot on one of the Billboard charts -- "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" stayed at number one of the R&B chart for FOUR weeks (and also hit #22 on the pop charts). That song and the rest of the score work astounding well in being able to advance plot and enrich character development within the context of the show, but then also function as first-rate pop songs, in and of themselves, outside the context of show, appealing to millions in the public who don't care a whit about Broadway. Few other "rock musicals" (including "Rent") have ever been able to do both.

---

Updated On: 4/11/05 at 09:33 PM

Ya'll know I love the Dreamgirls score. I feel the same way about it that rentheads feel about Rent. I was just listening to it the other day, and I agree with Margo that it was very daring. The evolution of music during that time period is all right there. The score is catchy, smart, and beautiful.

Would you be mad if I said I liked Audra's version of the song better, Marquise?

And when you look at some of the other rock musicals that spawned hit songs on the Billboard charts, in most cases, the "hits" weren't taken directly from the cast album (as was the case with "Dreamgirls") but were instead cover versions done by pop/rock/r&b musicians. Imagine if more Broadway shows were able to create big pop/r&b hits -- theatre would be much more a part of the mainstream entertainment culture (as it was up until the early 60s) than it is now.

Also, in the case of shows like "Hair" and "Godspell" and most other rock musicals that had chart success, the books for those shows were fairly weak and scattered, almost revues in fact, and so the composers could focus on just writing tuneful pop songs, rather than worrying about how the song would be integrated into the overall structure of the show. Krieger and Eyen managed to write new songs that appealed to the masses, that also worked perfectly within the context of the show's narrative -- a remarkable achievement.

---

Well, Thank you very much! Now I wanna listen to the CR instead of writing this paper! A bit of procrastination that I always enjoy.

I know the OBC cut a lot of the score, but what's there is wonderful.

The OBC is essential listening. Astonishing performances with great arrangements. However, you truly do not get a sense of the show from this recording. Listening to the show in its entirety on the Concert Recording (as flawed as some of it might be) makes a VERY strong case that DREAMGIRLS is the best score written in the last 25 years and is the greatest of all the pop operas. How musical motifs sung in character make their way into the pop songs written for the Dreams to sing is genius. It's a towering achievement.

---

I didn't appreciate/enjoy the Dreamgirls score until I heard the concert recording. The first third of the songs on the OBC recording really grated on me. I found the later songs to be increasingly enjoyable as the OBC recording continued, however out of context I got no sense of the plot or what the show was like to experience. Not only that, but so much good music didn't make it onto the OBC. So regardless of whether the performances are "better" on the OBC (which is subjective), I think you really need the concert version to truly fall for this powerful musical score. Not only that, but it is one of the few recordings of a musical from start to finish, including all dialog/songs. Listening to the concert recording is the next best thing to seeing the show. And L.A. people, Dreamgirls will be presented by the amazingly talented students of the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts on June 4/5. See link below.

I think the popular opinon is that the OBCR performances are much better than in the Concert Recording.

-Billy was sick
-Heather Headley was flat and sharp and all over the place
-Some folks (not me!) think that Audra was too operatic for the part.
-Nobody can ever touch Jennifer Holiday.

The went into the studio and fixed thing for the concert recording (Like Lilias' AITY, some of Billy's stuff) I don't know why they didn't fix Heather singing "Ain't No Party" cuz that was horrible mess.

haha, robbie - Billy would say "Black don't crack" to me all the time. I love that phrase. Billy told me that when he was young, during the winter he mom made him cover his face in vasoline. Perhaps that has a little to do with it :)

Billy was diagnosed with severe acid reflux disease less than a week after the concert. Though I've seen the bootlegged video of what I believe is the dress rehearsal, he sounds pretty decent for being so ridiculously unhealthy. He talks about his sickness in Ghetto Superstar. By the way, I finally saw Ghetto Superstar, here in Pittsburgh. It's one of those life-changing experiences. I knew it would be great - but I was absolutely floored. My words aren't enough to describe how moved I was. His mother was also right in the front, seeing it for the first time. Truly an amazing night that I'll always remember.

As for the rest of the concert recording, Heather is the one that sounds pretty dreadful. Lillias' AITY isn't the best - but her It's All Over, Heavy, and I Am Changing are pretty damn awesome.
Audra is clearly a bit miscast, but even so, she's brilliant and portrays Deena beautifully.

---