Jennifer Hudson feared the big number

http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2006/08/oscars_dreamgir.html

"It was terrifying," Jennifer Hudson confessed to me about filming the "Dreamgirls'" blockbuster music number "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" — a classic in Broadway history that earned another Jennifer (Holliday) the Tony Award as the best actress of 1982.


It's the most anticipated scene in one of the most eagerly awaited movies of the year. Director Bill Condon fretted so much over shooting it that he saved it up for last and shut down the set so no one could spy on the scene. On Broadway, Holliday had just a narrow sliver of stage to pace and wail in anguish as she railed at her music group's manager for dumping her twice: first as lead singer, then as lover. On the film set, Hudson had a vast wide stage to flail, flop, growl and howl.

Since the scene is the romantic heart and musical soul of a beloved Tonys contender-turned-Oscar-best-picture frontrunner, the pressure was on the "American Idol" cast-off hired to portray "The Dreams'" cast-off "Effie" when David Geffen nixed the casting of "Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino. Geffen's bully move turned out to be the salvation of "Dreamgirls" considering how magnificent Hudson is in the role. A test-screening audience not only went crazy for the pic recently in San Diego, but viewers went utterly bonkers over Hudson. Now she can laugh off her loss on "American Idol." All early buzz indicates that "Dreamgirls" is about to transform Hudson into a superstar. Already, she's the frontrunner for the supporting-actress Oscar. Actually, it's surprising she's not a frontrunner for best actress considering Holliday beat her costar Sheryl Lee Ralph (who portrayed Deena) for the top acting honor at the Tonys, but studio chiefs plan to separate the film Dreamdivas at the Oscars, demoting Hudson to supporting because Beyonce has more screen time. And, well, probably just because she's Beyonce.

"You can imagine how scary and amazing it was to be cast in this movie with giants like Beyonce, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy," she told me last night at a special "Dreamgirls" promo in Los Angeles, "but it was absolutely terrifying when I faced that big stage to perform 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going.'

"I've never seen the musical," she added. A video survives of Holliday performing "Dreamgirls'" big, knock-your-block-off number at the Tony Awards, but Hudson's never seen that either.

"All I know is the stage recording," she said. "I just had that to guide my emotions."

So, what did she do to inform her full physical performance? Just follow the direction of Condon carefully? The choreographer? Or did she just thrust her body wherever her emotions took her on that stage?

"A little bit of all of that," she said. "Bill let me try all kinds of things."

Hudson recorded the song prior to staging it, but discovered lots of new tugs and aches while giving a full-throttle, body-hurling performance on that stage, so she went back into a studio and recorded the song again.

When editors pulled the final production together and gave it a fast-paced, quickly chopped, energetic pace, witnesses say that Condon and Hudson actually topped the magical, bone-chilling accomplishment that Holliday achieved on stage.

Last night at the "Dreamgirls" promo, Paramount/Dreamworks showed the same 20 minutes of the film that aired at the Cannes Film Festival, plus a discarded trailer, to members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and other media. But no glimpse of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Not yet. That's the big number producers must save up till the film's December release.

However, the studio did present Jennifer Hudson in person. She wowed the crowd with three musical numbers: a Gladys Knight chestnut ("Where Peaceful Waters Flow"), a "Dreamgirls" standard "One Night Only" plus one of the four new tunes written specifically for the film version — "I Love You, I Do" (to give it four new shots at Oscar noms — old songs don't qualify). Very catchy, very endearing.

A person would have to be stupid, or extremely, extremely arrogant, to not be afraid of that song. The history it has alone is enough to scare.

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It's interesting the studios are going to push Jennifer for the Best SUPPORTING Actress Oscar, leaving an opening for Beyonce in the leading category, and keeping the girls from competing against each other.

It shows you how early they start the spinning and campaigning. The film isn't even out yet! And the strategies are well under way for awards season.

Well, it worked for Zeta-Jones. They got enough people to think of Velma as a supporting role that she went home with that Oscar.

Maybe the same will work for Jennifer. I'll give them an A for effort so far. Sheesh.

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I'm REALLY excited about the movie, too. I just hope that, whatever happens, the critics don't eat Jennifer Hudson alive. I can deal with raves, I can deal with indifference, but I would hate for her to be crucified because she was cast in the role of Effie.

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"Four new songs were written? Was this done in the interest of the show or to make a grab at a Best Song Oscar?"

You answered your own question. If it was a grab at Best Song Oscar, they only needed to have written one new song (i.e., "Chicago").

Obviously, it was done for the sake of the property.

I like Jennifer Hudson a lot, and am really, really happy for her. I depised Season 3 of AI, but was able to catch a few of her performances. Her "Weekend in New England" and "Circle of Life" were fantastic.

Henry Krieger, who wrote the music for the original Broadway production, wrote 4 new songs for the films, so yes...it's in DREAMGIRLS favor -- they are performed IN the film not during the credits.

The four songs are: "Listen" (for Beyonce's Deena); "Love you, I Do" (for Jennifer's Effie); "Patience" (for Eddie's "Thunder" Early, as well as Anika's Lorrell and Sharon's Michelle) and a song for a Jackson Five-ish group called The Campbell Connection.

I have to say all this mystery about the song is making me really excited about this movie, not that I wasn't before. Does anyone know the complete song list for the movie?

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A slight correction to the list of new songs above, which is otherwise correct: "Patience" is sung by Eddie and Anika, with Keith Robinson appearing on the track also.

See may have feared the number, but the hoots and hollers and standing ovation she got at the San Diego test screening proves she now has nothing to worry about. I've never experienced applause/standing o's in movies - but I was right there standing with the rest of the audience. It's filmed and performed brilliantly.

She definitely deserves an Oscar nod. And, I think she stands a pretty good chance of winning.

The new songs are good, but I'm partial to the original score. They have a slightly more contemporary feel than the originals, but they were very smart to include them. I was asked to be a part of the forum afterwards, and the majority of the people there were raving about the new songs and were asking when they'd start getting radio play. I think the new songs will bring audiences in. (But again, I think the original songs are brilliant enough to bring in an audience).

I can't help but fan the flames after reading these posts. Full Disclosure: I am not a fan of Miss Knowles, nuff said. I wish the movie project much success and hope that all sorts of accolades are in store for JHud, including an Oscar. She deserved the title of American Idol the season in which she contested it. Redemption is near damnit!

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blueroses ,if you could find weekend in new england, i would love it. I downloaded most of the songs jennifer sang on ai3, but I could not find Weekend in new England.

Stella