Dreamgirls Revival?- Page 2

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 10:08pm

Patina is SO skinny and slender... Effie needs to be heavy. That's how it was originally intended, based on what I've read.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 11:07pm

^ You could not be more wrong. Julia McGirt was Bennett's favorite choice, is NOT heavy. The only reference is during "It's All Over" at which point she is PREGNANT. Therefore, she doesn't *have* to be heavy/fat/whatever.


There was a great thread about this when the movie came out...I'll see if I can find it.

[BwayBoundJoe]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 11:54pm

Am I the only one who thinks Frenchie Davis would be a Great Effie? I know she did the tour, and she mentioned something to me at the stage door of RENT a few years ago about loving to do the role of effie on broadway.

Also, Antonique as Deena...Great!

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 9:20am

I think Frenchie Davis would be a great choice. Also, Gwen Stewart..but she's probably too old. But let's not get carried away with the RENT alumni : )

[dg22894]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 9:47am

Sharon Wilkins or Gwen Stuart or Felicia P. Fields they would all be amazing. I would also like to she LaChanze(sp) as Deena or Lorrell. I think James T Lane the Richie in the Chorus Line Revival would be good as Jimmy.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 9:48am

Sharon Wilkins is waaaaaaaaay too old.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 10:40am

Felicia P. Fields would be amazing !!!

Just wondering--- what has Ramona Keller been up to ?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 11:50am

I think this is the thread, husk.
Effie White -- Does She Have To Be "Heavy?"

[MissAnneThrop]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 1:34pm

Sharon Brown mentioned in her bio for Jekyll & Hyde that she wore padding when she was Effie.

[thejcm]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 2:55pm

I saw a clip of Ramona as Lorrell in the Frenchie Davis mini-tour of the show and she was pretty bland. Granted, it was only "Ain't No Party" but she didn't impress me. She hit the notes but there wasn't enough emotion. Which is weird because I absolutely love Ramona and it seems like Lorrell is a part that is perfect for her.

And Antonique Smith as Deena? That girls voice is anything BUT bland. Plus she'd just riff through all of the songs which is the exact opposite of what Deena's supposed to do, am I right?

I'm loving the idea of Shayna Steele as Effie.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 2/21/09 at 2:57pm

As much as I would LOVE to see Jennifer Hudson play the role live. I think it would just be best for her to move on from the role. I will just go see her when her tour comes to Chicago instead.

[mikkix]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 11:24pm

I saw Dreamgirls in Korea yesterday. I really liked it!
On the souvenior program, it says national tour'll on 2009 and broadway run from 2011.
http://musicaldreamgirls.co.kr/

[mikkix]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 11:24pm

double post Updated On: 3/9/09 at 11:24 PM

[aroundalongtime]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 3:35pm

Offering my two cents - I saw a fantastic performance of Effie in Dreamgirls in Raleigh NC. It starred a wonderful performer named Quiana Parler. Someone put together a YouTube resume of several of her performances, including Effie. This is a lady that could knock off several socks. Check it out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr6gyCwAQxg

[PattiLover]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 4:01pm

Nova Peyton was a fabulous Effie in the Philadelphia Prince Theatre production. Henry Krieger apparantly wanted her for the movie.

While flipping through channels this weekend, I caught Three Mo' Divas on PBS, which she's in and brings down the house with Summertime and Defying Gravity.

Since there will be so much comparison with the original cast and the movie, I'd rather see a group of well cast unknowns. I'd particularly hope they are cast age appropriate...the Dreams are young girls.

Dreamgirls doesn't need any stars, it's a show that creates stars.
Updated On: 3/9/09 at 04:01 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 6:36pm

Frenchie Davis played Effie already and was surprisingly underwhelming. Fuschia Walker was an AMAZING Effie, but I fear she's a bit too old for the part now.

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember a sight gag having to do with Effie's size in the scene where she discovers she's been replaced. In the dressing room, she opens a door or a locker where her dress should be hanging and there was a tall thin version of her dress there, which was too obviously not hers. Am I totally off here? It was a while ago, but I just remember that so vividly and her reaction, coupled with the audience reaction, added so much incredible tension in the moment that fueled the following iconic scene and song. It was one of those indescribable funny/not-funny moments which was pure genius.

[sarcadam88]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 11:31pm

This may be slightly unrelated to the discussion at hand, but the Broadway Across America listing for this production lists "Listen" as a featured song from the blurb. Does this mean the revival will be inserting one or more of the songs written for the film?

[morosco]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 9:03am

I seem to remember a sight gag having to do with Effie's size in the scene where she discovers she's been replaced. In the dressing room, she opens a door or a locker where her dress should be hanging and there was a tall thin version of her dress there, which was too obviously not hers.

If you are talking about the stage production Effie's replacement (Michelle) comes into the dressing room wearing the dress. (I guess the audience is to assume that the dress has been taken in for Michelle's slimmer figure.) Michelle is talking out loud about how nervous she is and "all those harmonies". Effie says "who's she?".

[Nattalyee]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 12:41pm

I dont think La Chanze could ever tackle Effie and I think Patina woudld be fierce as a Deena..actually a Lorrell. She is too skinny for Effie. Also...Effie is supposed to be bigger than the other two. It makes the dynamic of the show more heart wrenching. If you have a darker, heavy Effie it just works better.

Also...I went to the open call at the Apollo for Dreamgirls and got a couple of call backs for Effie and I believe they want to go w/ someone unknown so they can mold her into their own Effie and make their own so to speak "star"!

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 2:20pm

The Deena/Effie replacement dynamic is much, much better if Effie is both darker and heavier than Deena. They say in the show that it's because Deena's voice is blander, but the subtext (and the reality of Diana Ross and Florence Ballard) is that Effie was fired to appeal to white audiences who wouldn't accept a darker, curvier lead singer.

[crushgroove]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 7:07am

Did anyone check out the link to the Korean site a few posts above? Call me crazy but does anyone else find it odd to have a completely Korean cast for a show that is one of the defining African American shows in Broadway history. It's as if doing The Color Purple with an all white cast. It's off-putting. I am all for color-blind casting, but when it's a whole show that is so race-specific as this one, I almost find it offensive.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 9:22am

Tell it to John Breglio, the man who owns the rights to Dreamgirls. The Korean run is part of a bizarre money-saving out of town tryout to prepare Dreamgirls for its triumphant return to...well, New York, anyway. He wants to bring it to the Apollo in November.
Dreamgirls in Korea...and the Apollo

[tommigyrl5]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 11:05am

Chester IS going to be James Thunder Early. I think he's was the first person cast.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 11:54am

Too young.

[tommigyrl5]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 12:05pm

Jay Binder didnt think so.