Foxx Endorses Fantasia for 'Dreamgirls' Role- Page 2

[wendy72]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 1:01pm

Can someone enlighten me..Beyonce is playing the role originated by Sheryl Lee Ralph, but who played the role for which Anika was cast. And who played the girl who replaced Effie/Jennifer Holliday? Thanks.

And would Eddie be the lead, and Jamie the 2nd male lead? Who is the more sympathetic character--sorry, it's been a few years..

[Dame Fanadette]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 1:13pm

I just wish Jennifer Hudson would get this part. Prefer her voice to Fantasias.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 1:18pm

Loretta Devine was the original Lorell Robinson.
Sharon Brown - I believe - was Jennifer's first replacement.

As far as the men go, I wouldn't say that Eddie's part (Jimmy Early) is any bigger than Jamie's (Curtis). In fact, wasn't Ben Harney nominated for Best Leading Actor while Cleavant Derricks won for Supporting?

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 1:27pm

Jennifer's first replacement was Roz Ryan I believe.
MargoChanning would definitely know the answer.

[GhettoBway]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:00pm

Julia Mcgirt was the 1st

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:11pm

Thanks Ghetto.

[wendy72]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:12pm

Thanks for the feedback--what I meant was who other than Loretta, Sheryl and Jennifer were the female leads--and who replaced Jennifer's character Effie in the group within the show?

Also, who plays Effie's love interest? Eddie or Jamie?

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:14pm

Marquise, you are correct. And Roz Ryan was excellent. Fantasia Barino is an ideal choice for Effie(assuming she has some acting chops--even if not, there is a very strong director of actors doing this film,)and no weight gain is needed....Fantasia is sufficiently "overweight" for the part of Effie...the part of Effie, at least in the Broadway show, need not be played by a heavy woman. It simply cannot be played by an anorexic looking woman.

The part of Effie has been played on Broadway by the very large Jennifer Holiday and Roz Ryan to the simply zaftig Lillias White who played Effie in the national tour revival that played Broadway briefly. Of course Ms. White also did Effie in Dreamgirls in Concert. Again, Fantasia Barino (as some of us posted well over a year ago) is the ideal choice for Effie in the film. I suspect poster Michael Bennett is correct when he says Fantasia Barino in Dreamgirls will be announced soon. Yay.

[Millie42]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:15pm

I cannot be the only person that dislikes her voice...

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:24pm

The sympathetic characters are the women who are getting very hard lessons in show business throughout. Everyone is a sympathetic character if played right, tho everyone has flaws...that is what makes the book so wonderful. Curtis is the most consistantly greedy, but Effie is as well. How they ruin each other is the climax of the first and second parts of the story...Curtis is usually considered the lead actor, Jimmy a supporting role, and I doubt the script will stray too far from the book.
(note: Loretta Devine and Debbie Burrell were the only stars to not be nominated for a tony because the competition was amazing with 3 women from Nine and Laurie Beechman from Joseph taking all 4 spots...sound familiar? Remember Kerry Butler being knocked out by the Nine revival ladies?)

Original Bway Cast:
Deena: Sheryl Lee Ralph (Tony nom. - Best Actress)
Effie: Jennifer Holliday (Tony winner - Best Actress)
Lorelle: Loretta Devine
Michelle: Deborah Burrell
Curtis: Ben Harney (Tony winner - Best Actor)
Jimmy: Cleavant Derricks (Tony Winner - Best Supp. Actor)
CC: Obba Babatunde (Tony nom. - Best Supp. Actor)
tonys for Choreography, Book and Lighting

Revival cast:
Deena: Alisa Gyse
Effie: Lillias White (she had done the original tour as well)
Lorrelle: Arnetia Walker
Michelle: Susan Beubian
Curtis: Weyman Thompson
Jimmy: Herbert Rawlings, Jr.
CC: Kevyn Morrow

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:27pm

Millie, you are not alone.

(keeping fingers crossed she doesn't get this role and that it goes to an unknown.)

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:28pm

What studio is producing the movie?

[GhettoBway]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:34pm

Excuse me Wish but Roz did not play Effie until later 1984 im looking at my playbill and she is listed as playing Edna Burke.

[BroadwayRandy0711]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:48pm

I think that Fantasia would be ok in the role, but speaking about American Idol, I would love to see Vonzell Solomon in a role on either Broadway or in the movie Dreamgirls. I think that she has a better voice than Fantasia. Don't get me wrong Fantasia has an Amazing voice but not for Dreamgirls, maybe if they do a A'int Misbehaven' revival. LOL

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:53pm

Dreamworks originally, but this past week Paramount came in, too, and will handle the film internationally.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 2:58pm

If Fantasia is playing Effie, I'll be skipping the movie...

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 3:04pm

Why judge someone who you have NEVER seen act? Perhaps she has a musical theatre singing style different from a singer style? Give her a chance before you knock her down.

A friend of mine saw her audition tape. BLEW HIM AWAY. Condon REALLY wants her for this part! If Condon believes in her, why not let her have a shot?

And on a different note, why are Playbill.com and BroadwayWorld.com just NOW posting about Anika? That's oooold news!

[whatacharacter]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 3:10pm

Ilove American Idol, but it is no way shpe or form a breeding ground for the next generation of Movie/Musical stars. Come on People!!!!! Effie has GREAT songs, but if she can't act, who cares??? How about Dioni Michelle Collins or Aisha de Haas? Some big girls with some real acting experience and great voices!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 3:13pm

****sigh****

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 4:01pm

ANSWERING wendy72's QUESTIONS:

Effie is replaced in the group by "Michelle Morris", who winds up having a relationship with "Effie"'s brother "C.C".

Jamie Foxx will be playing "Curtis Taylor, Jr.", manager of The Dreams. In the beginning of the show he is romantically linked to "Effie", but eventually turns his affections to and marries "Deena" (Beyoncé Knowles).

Eddie Murphy will be playing "James Thunder Early", a soul singer in the mold of James Brown. He's married but has a long extra-marital affair with Dreams group member "Lorell Robinson" (Anika Noni Rose).

[Thetruth]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 5:01pm

Love her or hate her Fantasia will DEFINITLY give a diffrent interpretation of AITY. Basically everybody since Jennifer Holiday has tried to copy her. If you want to hear Jennifer Holiday, go listen to the OBC. I'm ready for something new.

Also, Maybe Condon was most astonished by her rawness? Sometimes that's lost with trained actors.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 7:17pm

Marquise, GhettoBway & leomaxfrank---

Regarding Jennifer Hollidays' first replacement on Broadway, it was Vanessa Townsell. It was a big PR deal when she got cast. She was working for the phone company at the time and had very little theatrical experience. It was also a big mistake. She missed many performances and was replaced after only a few months.

How do I know this? I saw the show one month after Jennifer Holliday had left it. I saw Vanessa's understudy Brenda Pressley in the part of Effie. She was fantastic.

Updated On: 10/19/05 at 07:17 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 7:20pm

I heard her singing the national anthem, and she sounded like Macy Grey if Grey fancied herself a belter. That said, she might have been having a bad day or something.

And I don't really care what Jamie Foxx thinks of her; who says he has any casting aptitude at all? Being an actor doesn't necessarily make you better at judging them.

And Thetruth, don't make Margo go into the "not every Effie is the same" rant. I mean, it's a great rant, but making poor Margo type it over and over just isn't nice. :)

[Popular]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 7:23pm

In regards to her being able to sing/act musical theater...

I believe the words Simon Cowell used to describe her rendition of SUMMERTIME were something like "a master class..."

Granted it's only Simon's opinion but I thought she did an outstanding job with that song.

EDIT: Maybe someone can find the video, but below should be the audio link... hope that works.
Summertime Audio Updated On: 10/19/05 at 07:23 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 7:33pm

She suffers a bit from riff-itis, but that was definitely better than what I heard. What is it about the national anthem that screws so many people up?