DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?
DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?
DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#0
Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:23pm
Does anyone remember who played Effie. I believe Toni Braxton was Deena, but I can't recall the name of the woman who played Effie. It certainly wasn't Jennifer or Lillias White or Roz Ryan........I saw all of them in DREAMGIRLS in New York. But, does anyone remember who starred as Effie in the DREAMGIRLS tour that was done probably around 1993 or so???? thanks much.
This Effie was a verrrrrry large woman like Jennifer Holiday was on Broadway (althought I am quite sure she was even larger than Holiday)as opposed to a simply zaftig woman like Lillias White.
Can anyone help me recall who that Effie was? Thanks.
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#1
Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:30pm
Toni Branxton has never played Deena
check out this site
http://graiai.com/dreamgirls/
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#2
Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:31pm
Not sure. Fuchsia Walker? Lynette Dupre? Roz White?
See if there's something on this site that helps:
http://www.graiai.com/dreamgirls/
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#3
Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:38pmGhettobway, thanks for the correction about Braxton:) and thanks Margo to you and Ghettobway, to pointing me to the DREAMGIRLS site. I am navigating it but am still not certain which of the productions would have played in Miami for just one or two performances at the Knight Center in the 1990s. Maybe my years are mistaken and it was the 1997 tour. Thanks for your help!
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#4
Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:57pmI saw the National Tour in 97 or 98. My friend and I were tempted to leave at intermission. I guess it was Roz White that we saw...kinda! Her understudy went on in the second act after she destroyed "And I am Telling You..." and blew out her voice. Rumour had it that she did not follow directions on what to do when performing in Denver. (A packet goes out to the company before they get here with instructions on how to deal with the altitude. Oxygen is often kept backstage during performances so the performers don't get too short of breath) The production I saw was just awful. And the stage at the Buell Theate ate up the stripped down production. It looked cheap and the performances were pretty lackluster. Thank God for comp seats!
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#5
Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:58pm
from what I can see from that site, maybe it is possible the tour I saw was the
"Candlelight" tour..........the slight pic of Lynette Dupre looks closest to the Effie in the tour I saw. As I said.......she was the hugest Effie I ever saw.......and it was a recreation of the original production with a very minimal set, as was the Lillias White revival production.
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#6
Posted: 2/21/05 at 2:15pmI saw Dupre do the role back in the late 80s and recall her being rather large, but not very impressive vocally. She sounded sorta like an even more nasal version of Nell Carter, as I recall.
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#7
Posted: 2/21/05 at 2:27pm
I saw a HORRIBLE touring production (was the cheeziest staging of any show I saw before or since). The program is dated 1993 - 1994 (The Dream is Back and On The Road Tour). Not sure if this is the one you are thinking, but here is the cast:
Miki Howard - Deena
Darnell D. Pritchard - C.C. White
Eric Jordan Young - Curtis
Ms. Cynthia Waddell - Effie
Darrin Lamont Byrd - Marty
April Harris - Lorrell
Marison - Michelle Morris
Miki Howard was billed as the "star" - pulling out the program reminds me of how cheap this production was. The program says it is scheduled to appear in such places as the Aladdin Hotel, the Fox Theatre and many other prestigious theatres across the United States (I saw it at the Wang Center in Boston).
Broadway Star Joined: 12/29/04
re: DREAMGIRLS tour from early 1990s-Effie?#8
Posted: 2/21/05 at 3:23pmThis was the first production on the show i had ever seen! My mother took me to see it because one of her sorors(AKA)was in the production. She also idolizes Miki Howard, whom I also love. it was so bad. although Miki's acting was pretty good, the whole shabang was terrible. but the memories are still there.
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