DREAMGIRLS tour cuts/additions?

I really liked the addition of "Listen" but the entire bit between Effie & Deena starting with "Believe me, Effie. I never knew what Curtis was doing to you..." all the way through Curtis' "When I first saw you I said "Oh my you're my dream'" is all gone. That's about 4 minutes of some of the best music in the entire score.

I do, too. There's so much said there not only between Deena & Effie but between Deena & Curtis and it's all gone now. Unfortunately I don't think it will ever be put back in now.

Oh, I forgot about that! Yeah for someone as familiar with this show as I am that Act 2 opener was a bit jarring. I don't know why they felt the needed to change that!

There was an original original opening on Broadway, but the one that had opened act two since 1983 or so was the Dreams in Vegas, Deena does patter with the boys, sings a line of Dreamgirls, then they do "Step on Over" and it ends with the girls reprising Dreamgirls.

Have you heard the Actor's Fund album? It's on there.

Just listened to the other Act II opening, thanks to a certain someone. And I think the new opening is just fine.

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Haha!

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I like my Deenas bitchy, please.

I found that many only know DREAMGIRLS via the film-version and the film's presentation of Deena -- as the innocent little dear. They are totally unaware that Deena in the stage-version was far from being a victim, et al.

After exposing them to the stage-version, they are first shocked at how different the stage-version of DREAMGIRLS is from the film-version AND they love the stage-version Deena -- all sassy, bitchy and with an agenda.

I also agree about the original 1981 Act 2 opener (Deena & The Dreams simply doing a medley of their hits on that huge Las Vegas staircase) and that sensational (and revealing) press conference that followed it. Each of the ladies is interviewed and so much information is given letting us know what's taken place between the end of Act 1 and Act 2. Even Deena's little jab to Diana Ross is delicious. I never cared for the 'new' Act 2 opener that Michael Bennett replaced it with -- and it was a tragedy he even removed that press conference. This 3rd version is horrendous and totally misses the point.


Jennifer Holliday and Sheryl Lee Ralph in the original 1981 Broadway production's Effie and Deena reunion:

Every time I revisit the Dreamgirls movie, I like it a little less.

I never understand why Bill Condon has Deena all mopey and worried about booting Effie and then has her sing It's All Over. The dressing room scene in the stage version is perfect. I keep working for you, baby. I keep working!

I miss STEP ON OVER for the Act II opening but the replacement melody isn't bad at all.

I do like the quietness of the original reunion scene between Deena and Effie, but I have to admit, watching it at The Apollo, it was quite the crowd pleaser to see the two actresses have a vocal smackdown for the re-worked duet of LISTEN. Beyonce couldn't hold a candle to the singing of Syesha Mercado and Moya Angela. (As an aside, I hate that I've yet to hear Beyonce sing LISTEN live in its original key as used in the film - all the times I've seen/heard her sing it, it's been lowered by at least a whole step or a minor third...)

I didn't mind Listen but I did find it rather hilarious that Effie & Curtis's illegitimate child is dispensed with in about 10 seconds.

To be fair, that's pretty much how it is in the original version, too.

Please tell me the tour kept Ain't No Party.

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I'm glad to hear it! It is my favorite number in the show and I was devastated it was cut from the film. I'm taking my parents to see the tour as they have only seen the film version. They're both pretty excited about it.

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