Dreamgirls: Sharon Leal "unofficially" announced as Michelle- Page 2

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 8:41pm

Beyonce (as Deena) takes over lead vocals with the song "Dreamgirls" (aka, the title tune).

She sings lead for the Dreams from then on in the story, which (if the songs are still to remain in the film) would include Heavy, the big Vegas Hits Medley, One Night Only, and Hard To Say Goodbye My Love. She also sings a duet with Curtis (When I First Saw You) and is part of the Quintette. Before that, she sings "backup" on Move, Fake Your Way To the Top, Cadillac Car, Steppin' To the Bad Side, and sings sections of Family and It's All Over.

If you're wondering, "Deena Jones" is one of the story's three principal characters... The other two being Effie White and Curtis Taylor, Jr.

If I had to list them in tiers it would be this way:

Leads:
Effie
Curtis
Deena

Major Supporting Roles:
Lorell
James "Thunder" Early

Good Supporing Roles:
C.C. White
Marty
Michelle

Updated On: 11/12/05 at 08:41 PM

[ellenoshalom]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 9:23pm

^^^thank you so much.!!!

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 11/12/05 at 10:11pm

best, you forgot "Love Love Me Baby" for Deena too!!
Updated On: 11/12/05 at 10:11 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 12:36am

broadwaystar2b---You're right about "Love, Love You Baby," but it really isn't a full song, which is probably why I forgot about it in the first place. My bad.

The Dreams (with their new addition Michelle) sing only a couple of bars of it as the curtain lowers at the end of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" (Act 1 Finale). Then it shows up one more time as part of the Vegas Hits Medley at the top of Act II. Still it is another "song" for Deena as lead singer of the Dreams even if it's only partial.

I would look for a few of these "pop songs" from the Broadway show to drop in the film, since we've already heard that several new songs are being written. My humble guess is that they will add some potential new hits that can actually be released as singles... perhaps even under the fictitious trio name The Dreams. Just a wild guess on my part. I'm sure they won't cut the title song, and not the finale (Hard To Say Goodbye My Love) or One Night Only. They'd be crazy to do that. But Heavy and Love Love You Baby and even the Vegas Hits Medley could easily be swapped for new "releasable" material. I like those songs a lot, but they are not irreplaceable. Who knows? We'll just have to wait and see what's in store.

[Thetruth]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 2:36am

Best12, now the question is what's your favorite of Deena's numbers?

[paradox_error]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 6:35am

TheTruth, Ljay posts regularly on threads relating to many different aspects of BWW.

Perhaps you don't notice him, because he posts on many threads not involving Dreamgirls or R&B...

[Kavana]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 7:21am

First of all you all who are coming at TheTruth should mind you business, Dont worry about where he posts at.
If he had time to come to ny he would but miss thang is in Law School & a play writer.

He post in mainly black topics because he is black and what is on broadway now does does cater to him.
Whose fault is it that there are no black shows?
White people on this board were SURPRISED by seeing black people at The Color Purple and saying that it was so nice seeing them there and they liked how we got dressed for theater.
Do you know how that sounds?

It is rare for us to see a BROADWAY show but we do go to theater but nothing you would want to see.
So Truth does not make topics about shows like Fabric Of A Man or Is That your Husband would you like it if he did?
Would you like to see a gang of topics about Madea shows or Sister Cantaloupe?

I didn't think so, so you stay on topics of interest to you and he/we will do the same.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 11:28am

Thetruth---My favorite songs where "Deena" sings the lead?

1. Dreamgirls
2. Hard To Say Goodbye, My Love
3. One Night Only

(One Night Only is actually sung by both the Dreams and also Effie in the show. Each is competing on the pop charts for a hit with the same song.)

Updated On: 11/13/05 at 11:28 AM

[Thetruth]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 12:36pm

Paradox, are you Ljay's cousin, brother, braider of the hair below his navel, what? Jump off his sack. While you're at it, jump off mine too.


Kavana, I'm black now?


Best12, I'd have to say "Dreamgirls" is my top number sung by Deena. I actually like her version of "Move" when they had it in the Act 2 Medley. Not really a song, but I love the exchange between Effie and Deena at the end of Act 2. "Believe me, Effie, I never knew what Curtis was doing to you..."

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 12:52pm

Thetruth---agreed! "Deena Jones and the Dreams" version of "Move" in the Vegas Hits Medley is great! A whole different take on the song, and SO "Supremes"-like.

* * * *SPOILERS: And yes, one of my favorite scenes in the whole show is when Deena and Effie face each other again, after years, toward the end of Act 2. You may think I'm crazy here, but I always wanted them to add in that earlier on, Deena (as she is rising to stardom and marries Curtis) finds out she's pregnant, but chooses to have an abortion since it will halt her rocketing career. It would make this last scene with Effie SO much more powerful. Deena learns right here that Effie had a child (obviously with Curtis), and chose to keep the baby and struggle along in her life. Deena, the glamorous star, chose mega-wattage stardom over a chance at motherhood. Boy, would these two ladies have a lot to sit down and talk about.

[GhettoBway]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 12:56pm

hey truth what is your race if you dont mind?
are you denying that you are a person of color?
Kavana did you a favor seeing how you DO only post in black topics
she shouldnt have posted and let them attack you.
Updated On: 11/13/05 at 12:56 PM

[Thetruth]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 1:50pm

Anyway...


Best12, Yeah, Deena's version of "Move" has that Supremes feel w/the Vegas treatment. I've said it before, but I think they should put that back into the medley. It's kinda cool, to see how far they've come since Apollo. I always wondered, did they record Deena's version of "Move" after Effie left or before?

Also, about the Deena abortion. I actually like the idea. It makes their stories even more parallel. The only problem would be that it would make Curtis even more of a monster, but it could work if handled properly.

But back to the topics at hand. (These "Dreamgirls R&B" threads tend to go haywire) I heard that Sharon played Deena before. Anybody have any info on this?

[croft]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 3:40pm

So you think Beyonce can sing Fantasia out of the water , LMAO !!!. When is that ever gonna happen , I certainly won't be holding my breath

[dreamboy2004]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 6:33pm

my favorite character is Deena through out the whole musical. I love all Deena's lead and especially the Las Vegas Medley. I hope the producers would keep it because I'm dieing to hear Beyonce's version. Also I would've loved to hear the Dreams version of Move after Effie was kicked out the group. I always wanted Deena to have a full solo and since they're adding six new songs I'm sure oone of them will be for.Beyonce

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 6:38pm

Thetruth---MORE SPOILERS COMING* * * *

Yeah, it would make Curtis more of a monster here, especially if it was his idea for Deena to terminate a pregnancy. I guess I figure he's going down for the count, and sold out his own principles to get the group to the top of the charts anyway. He ultimately gets his just desserts in the end of this story. I think his goals and dreams are very human though, and Jamie Foxx will be great to bring them to life in the film. It could be a very small scene where Deena tells him she's pregnant (mind you, this would be after they are married and her career is already rocketing)... He could hug her, tell her he definitely wants to have children, but "Now is not the time. You KNOW that." ...or something to that effect. She could nod her head in agreement, maybe even shed a tear about it... and that would be it. That's all we would need to see to make that LAST scene with Effie & Deena really powerful. It's strong already, but this has always been my one complaint with "Dreamgirls" as a show. The second act loses some steam in general toward the end. Imagine Deena looking at Effie and coming face to face with the choices she MIGHT have made, both professionally and as a woman. They could both reach a common bond, through understanding. (I think they already do this to a degree here, but I think it could be stronger still.)

It would be a mistake to go overboard dramatically and have Effie die (parallelling Florence Ballard's story a little "too close to home.") I don't think this show is about those kind of tragedies or setbacks.

Ultimately, it's about the choices people make to get to their dreams. Primarily concerning Effie, Curtis and Deena. Professional choices as well as personal ones. We see how they start out with tons of ambition... and the cards that each of them is dealt... and how they choose to handle that. Pretty powerful stuff. This is why I think "Dreamgirls" could easily succeed as a film that appeals to all people. We all decide what we want in life and choose how we are going to go after it. I think these characters' lives will resonate with movie audiences, regardless of their ethnicity, love of musicals, or interest in show business careers. It's a much bigger story than that.

[ellenoshalom]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 6:52pm

..emotional plot after ACT2. O my I can't wait.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 6:58pm

Thank you very much, Paradox!

I do have 3743 posts, and I have been here for over a year. But according TRUTH thinks I've only posted 2 or 3 times.

[Thetruth]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 7:32pm

Best12, I'm liking the idea. Deena is one of those roles that looks much easier to play than it is...I agree that Act 2 needs work. AITY takes it to a level that's hard to come close to.

[ellenoshalom]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 7:36pm

...I keep thinking that Condon is going to twist things up a little. Best12bars, great commentary! *hand claps*

Posted: 11/13/05 at 8:46pm

i have had the honor of sharing the stage with Sharon Leal and the girl is phenomenal!! she deserves to be a HUGE star and why she hasn't gotten more attention in the theatrical community is beyond me...she would be a fantastic Elphaba,BTW...the girl is beautiful and so sweet..and incredibly talented...she has been falling under the radar for way too long...i hope the Dreamgirls news is true.

[dreamboy2004]

Posted: 11/15/05 at 12:17am

I wonder who will do the costumes for the movie. Will they have new costumes or will they keep the same ones from the broadway show?

[jaso_n]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 2:26pm

I kinda left this thread alone, but I meant to respond to a few things. First of all, Beyonce has "star quality" because she's pretty and she has marketed to be that way since she was a little girl. She has been marketed and promoted as the prettiest one with the best voice and best body. Marketing and slight of hand are different than raw soul and talent.

Second, no time will Fantasia be outsung by Beyonce. NEVER. EVER. Beyonce has been around since '98 and heard her sing plenty of times. Fantasia been out since last year and her perfromances easily outdo Beyonce's. Easily. Don't let the hype fool you into an obviously wrong opinion here. Live or Recorded, honestly. Beyonce's voice is highly compressed and ProTooled but eh, still. I like Beyonce but she ain't outsinging Fantasia no time soon.

Third, I've seen what Beyonce looks like without make-up and hair. Trust me, she isn't what she seems like. She still has a pretty complexion and nice features, but she isn't hot or drop-dead gorgeous like a lot of her press pictures suggest. And let me put it like this, Anthony Rapp has more hair than she does.

That's all.