Dreamgirls National Tour 4/25

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 1:35am

So I finally stopped being lazy and just wanted to share my thoughts about the Dreamgirls tour that I saw up in the OC last Sunday. Moya Angela wasn't on as Effie, it was Patrice Covington who is the alternate. The playbill doesn't state when she goes on, they just give an insert. I thought she was OK. The girl can sing but there was no depth to her performance of Effie. The vocals were there but she rushed through the songs and the lyrics that all emotion felt lost. I was very disappointed in I Am Telling You.

Syesha Mercado I thought was a fine in the role. Her voice went back and forth from being strong to weak. Not a very consistent performer but she was good nonetheless.

Adrienne Warren as Lorell was the highlight of the show for me. Her voice during Ain't no Party was just killer as well her break up scene with Jimmy.

Chester Gregory as Jimmy was pretty good. He was also a highlight of the show. Although I've seen a better Jimmy in Tonex from a regional show done here in San Diego a couple years ago.

Milton Craig Neely as Marty... well I know it's not really important or relevant... but i've seen him in other stuff.... dude's voice reminds me of Kermit the Frog and i just cannot stand listening to him in anything!!!

Chaz Lamar Shepherd and Trevon Davis as Curtis and C.C. I combined them together because they were HORRIBLE. I couldn't stand their acting choices. Chaz tried way too hard to act like a tough guy as Curtis and Trevon was waaay too passive as C.C. He almost played him as just a full on dork and it bothered me.

The ensemble was pretty weak. Maybe it was them or maybe it was just the weak choreography and musical staging. The ensemble weren't in sync. People were just all over the place and it felt very chaotic and disjointed. This along with some of the awkward staging and blocking and it just felt like a big broadway production directed by amateurs. So it was fairly disappointing.

The lighting design and set design I thought were very impressive and I loved the use of the LED lights. It just felt right for this show.

So yeah, those are my thoughts on the show. I was glad I saw it but I was hoping for something a little bit more. If this does make it to broadway I just think it needs tighter direction and choreography and some new actors.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 3:22am

"The vocals were there but she rushed through the songs and the lyrics that all emotion felt lost."

That pretty much describes the entire production.

[DAME]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 11:55am

I agree with everything you state except I think perhaps you are being too kind. For me it was like watching a dumbed down "Ice Capades"version of the show.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 2:55pm

Spot on review! Sounds like the same terrible show that I saw at the Ahmanson weeks ago. I had tickets for the OCPAC engagement but gave mine away rather than endure another miserable performance.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 6:04pm

I saw it in Boston and pretty much agree. One of the reviewers (The Edge maybe?) said his companion called it "Scream Girls." I thought that apt.

American Idol "in your face" emptiness. A lot of rapid fire noise and glitz with no heart and no danger or grit. The one exception was Chester Gregory. I thought he was great. You felt his pain and his passion.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 6:20pm

i was hoping to see Moya Angela... how was she in the role of Effie?

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 8:15pm

Moya's singing was certainly strong. She definitely got emotion across. However, she often started out at the top, so she had nowhere to go. I thought she was going to burst a blood vessel by the time she finished "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." I don't know how she could do that every night and not blow out her vocal chords!

Her book scenes were weaker. She didn't seem to know what to do with her body. She had a lot of amateurish pacing and repetitive gestures. She also was fairly strident the whole time. It was hard to feel any sympathy for her because she was soooo angry and felt sorry enough for herself already. She was better once her character softened in Act II. But by then it was too late.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/30/10 at 8:32pm

"amateurish pacing and repetitive gestures"

Again, a perfect description of the production.


'Scream Girls'! Now THAT made me laugh.