Lets Put This Whole Dreamgirls Business To Rest — Page 6

Why Hudson over Fantasia, in your opinion? Cause clearly Fantasia had the buzz for a long time.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan


Thank you ...for sharing this artist and music. Yes the soul is there!

1) Jennifer has the vocals, for sure.

2) She connects to her music in a way few people do.

3) She has not proven her acting chops...but, remember Ms. Holliday was a god-awful actor. With the right director, anything is possible.

4) I think a big performance of AIATY can be done on film...it all depends on the camera work, and style of the film. The trick is to be consistent.

5) Fantasia totally has a gospel growl...it isn't healthy, but no gospel growl is (if it's done right). I prefer Jennifer Hudson's gospel sound to Fantasia's. And for those folks who try to reduce gospel music to only one type of sound: shame on you.

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Well, as someone who has worked in film for the last 10 years, I can tell you that the idea that a stage performance can't be put on screen is ludicrous.

Shoot it right, and you can make ANYTHING work. BIG or SMALL. I mean, if Madonna can win awards for Evita, anything is possible.

The trick is (whether on stage or not) TRUTHFULNESS. If an actor is truthful to the moment and the style of the piece, then it works. Playing for the back of the house is the wrong way to think about it. Increasing the struggle is the right way to think about it. Truth reads on stage just as well as on camera -- all the camera does is determine the size of the house and how little you can get away with. For AIATY, this moment is extreme, and...if played subtly, it will fail so badly, it will be a disgrace to movie musicals. It HAS to be played for the raw gigantic emotion it deserves.

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That's been my point for the longest time. Fantasia would make And I Am Telling You soulful and probably have you standing on your feet by the end of it, because she's sassy and soulful and all that. But Jennifer is on the other side of the diva coin -- the side that's been missing for so long in pop music. Big, soaring, raw vocals. THAT's what the song is about. Volume and tone play a part in it as well and I think Jennifer will bring that to the part. I hope she does.

Bumpity bump.

A lot have posters here have been holding out for the confirmation. You have it now.

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They didn't hire her because she's illiterate? Yet a publishing company hired her to write a book? That makes no sense. What does that have to do with performing a role?

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hmmm interesting.. yes i could see that as the scenario. David was tied into the original production as we all know and may not have wanted to sway toward a "new" sounds for Effie. Hudson certainly fits the mold of what we know the character to look and sound like for sure.

Best12, No I didn't mean Condon backing down, rather that Geffen apparently didn't want Fantasia and was not heading for quick approval for ANYONE in the role.

As I heard it, Hudson became an alternative choice because if Geffen persisted, the film literally would have been without an Effie when the cameras started rolling in January. Clearly Condon went to bat, but I think Hudson's casting was on some level a concession. And chances are Geffen is STILL not happy with the choice.

If I'm wrong, feel free to put me in my place

Updated On: 11/18/05 at 01:26 PM

I am extremely disappointed that Fantasia did not get the role of Effie White. But good luck to Jennifer Hudson...and she ought to do fine job with the role - vocally anyways.

Congratulations to Jennifer. Talk about coming out of no where.

For those of you who still continue to bash fantasia (even still after getting what you want). Remember this, she made it this far on her talent. Fantasia looks nothing like Effie, sounds nothing like Effie but her ORIGINAL protrayal of HER rendition of Effie is what got her so much buzz, and almost landed this role for her. So, before you name call remember that!

Jennifer Hudson is perfect for the role in looks, sound, etc. (plus so many of you wanted a larger size Effie, there you go). She is a dead ringer for Jennifer Holliday. Fantasia made it as far as she did because of her unique quality, not because she looks and sounds like previous Effie's --- we all would agree that she is nothing like any Effie anyplace so her audition was all Fantasia's talent, not a mere copy of a previous Effie.

Interesting that out of over 700 people who auditioned, the top two came from American Idol. They should pay American Idol big bucks for discovering Jennifer for them.

It would have been interesting if both girls had turned the part down. I guess the dreamgirls casting team would then have to wait for idol auditions to start in January 2006 to find a new Effie -- since it is clear they were not able to find talent outside of American idol.

I will say this AGAIN for the 1,000th time. They did not wait 20 years to make this movie to include a "new" Effie. Many people have NOT seen the original Broadway production. I don't care what anyone says. Vocally, Fantasia cannot pull off "And I'm Telling You." She'd have no other choice but to sing it sassy because she doesn't have the power to bring out those notes that the song requires. Whitney Houston has sung this song many times in concert and on television and she didn't change the song around. And Whitney is known for her versatility.

Fantasia will land some other part and her fans can jump up and down and yell hurrah.

Now...onto the movie...