It's Been 20 Years... DREAMGIRLS Broadway Revival? (Variety)- Page 2

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 1:53pm

Rentboy, if all you have heard Mimi perform is her track in Rent, who are you to say she doesn't have the type of voice needed?

[thejcm]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:14pm

I've said it before, but there's an interview where Beyonce said she wanted to be the first black woman to have an oscar, a grammy, an emmy, and a tony. Not that I think she'd be capable of winning a tony as Deena, but who knows, she might go for it. If she were starring, then the production would definitely be guaranteed a success.

I would love it if Sharon Leal came back to broadway as Deena. With Jesse L. Martin as Curtis. Don't know about any of the other parts. Maybe Billy Porter could play Jimmy again.

[Kringas]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:37pm

Maybe Billy Porter could play Jimmy again.

Please god, no!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:45pm

I totally agree, Kringas.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:48pm

how about capathia jenkins as effie?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:48pm

You can bet that any Broadway revival of DREAMGIRLS will be an EXACT recreation of Bennett's original staging -- much like the A CHORUS LINE revival, Bennett estate executor (ans revival producer) John Breglio would not allow any major changes.

[DAME]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:50pm

Just as long as they don't use those pitiful mini tower sets the bus and truck toured with.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:51pm

Dame, I was just thinking the same thing. Do the original, "original", not the scaled down original "revival".

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:51pm

Now is the right time for a revival. With the film opening to rave reviews, the time is ripe for a revival. Let's hope they act on it. I would love to see this show live.

While they will, of course, recreate Bennett's original staging and choreography, I really do hope that this DREAMGIRLS doesn't come off as canned and cheap as the current A CHORUS LINE.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 3:19pm

I think that DREAMGIRLS should come off much better than ACL does now. The book and score still seem fairly fresh and not at all dated, and the designs and Bennett's staging are still state of the art 25 years later (amazingly, I've yet to see a show in all these years since that looks more modern or technologically advanced). And unlike ACL, DREAMGIRLS has been re-mounted several times since Bennett's death, both for Broadway (1987 revival which was basically a return engagement of the national tour that Bennett himself staged before his death) and in several productions around the country (that have used the original staging to varying degrees -- in Atlanta, Philly, Detroit, et al).

I've seen the show several times since Bennett's death and the audience response is always exactly the same -- if anything the show seems MORE popular now than it originally did in the 80s. For a revival, yes, let's hope they have Robin Wagner recreate his computerized light towers (rather than using the mobile ones on wheels that the bus-and-truck tours had). And I imagine they'll grab Brenda Braxton (who was the show's original dance captain and staged the Actor's Fund Concert) to do the re-creation of the staging and choreography. Frankly, as long as they cast it well and don't do it on the cheap, a new revival would be a can't-miss proposition.

Updated On: 12/4/06 at 03:19 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 3:25pm

I'm wondering what the likelyhood is of them offering the role of Hudson. I'm thinking slim.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 3:32pm

Jennifer's agents have been picky as to what vehicle she stars in next. They have already turned down a couple of movie scripts. By the time Dreamgirls is ready for the stage, if it is to be revived, she probably would've signed on to another project already. Her focus right now is her CD that Clive Davis is supervising.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 3:36pm

The offer may very well go out, but if she wins an Oscar for the film (still an "if" but by all accounts, a possibility), I wonder if "her people" would let her spend a year doing Broadway, rather than doing a potentially far more lucrative concert tour (she has an album coming out in January) or perhaps another film.

And if I were her in her position, I'm not sure I'd want to spend a year doing eight shows a week of such a killer role that I'd already done successfully on film and have to live up to that night after night -- especially if there are higher profile opportunities out there. Not to mention, for the sake of career longevity, if she doesn't want to be pidgeon-holed into the role of Effie for the rest of her life (as Holliday has been), whatever she does next acting-wise should be something entirely different.

[rickgianatos]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 12:26am

I understand that the show never played the West End and it is planned for the spring. I've not heard more details on this yet.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 1:38am

Although I'd love to see her do it, I agree with Margo about Hudson. I don't really know who they'd get, so I'm all for a newcomer.

[Sandy in Sable]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 2:54am

Seeing as how the integrity of the original production is so fiercely protected, I wonder what are the chances of the film's new songs being added to the stage production (a la "Maybe This Time" in Cabaret). In the case of MTT, I think it added to the piece. I guess I have a problem with "Listen" because I see it as little more than an attempt to win an Oscar for Best Song and to give Deena (but more importantly, Beyonce) her own little AIATYING.
What do you guys think? Add the new songs giving DG a little freshness for the new millenium, or let the film be the film and leave well enough alone onstage?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 3:12am

I say, since Bennett, Michael Peters and Tom Eyen are not around to rewrite the show and work in any changes, leave the stage version alone -- it's brilliant enough as it is.

Aside from that, Breglio would NEVER allow it to be tampered with and when asked about this very recently (by BWW's own Capn Hook, Andrew Hartman) Henry Krieger also shot down the idea:


AH: Do you think these new songs – “Listen,” “Patience,” and “Love You I Do” – could also work in the stage musical?

HK: That’s a very interesting question. They probably would. But to reshape the stage musical, I would need my original collaborators to be alive again.


http://moviemusicals.net/dreamgirls_articles.html

Updated On: 12/5/06 at 03:12 AM

[silent]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 5:29am

Nicci Gilbert was one of the top 3 finalists for the film role of Effie and I think she'd make a good Effie on stage.

I remember there were rumors of a revival after Deborah Cox's run in "Aida" and I think they should snatch her up for Deena before she gets too old. If not her, then Sasha Allen.

[thejcm]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 10:21am

Sasha Allen should/could play Lorrell! Though I've heard from people who saw her in "bare" that she wasn't the worlds strongest actress.

There could be "Camp"-Dreamgirls with Sasha as Lorrell, Dequina Moore as Deena, and Tiffany Taylor as Effie.

I'm not really serious, but it'd be a hoot.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 12/5/06 at 9:18pm

What I really find myself wondering about is whether the next new cast recording will have the entire score on it. That would be terrific.