More Dreamgirls rumors

'Dreamgirl' Alicia Keys?
Friday, February 11, 2005

By Roger Friedman


'Deamgirl' Alicia Keys?

Is Alicia Keys ready for her film debut?

There's buzz here in Hollywood on the eve of the Grammy Awards, and it's getting loud.

Keys, I'm told, is being pursued for a major role in the movie version of the Broadway hit "Dreamgirls." She may be meeting this very day with writer/director Bill Condon to see what's what.

Get ready, because this girl can do anything. She may wind up joining Beyoncé Knowles — who's rumored to have a role already — and another superstar as "The Dreams," a trio based on The Supremes.

When on Broadway, the show-stopper "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" featured the singing of the then-heavyset Jennifer Holliday.

You can bet girls will be climbing all over each other to get this part. But Queen Latifah — with whom Condon worked on "Chicago" — would seem the likely candidate.

Updated On: 2/11/05 at 11:07 AM

This is going to suck. Period.

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I'm at a loss for words. I wish Condon the best, but if there's any truth to this latest round of casting critic fodder, I'll wait for the bootlegged copies of the DVD.

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Updated On: 2/11/05 at 11:39 AM

wildcat, NOT ALWAYS........There are many instances where the Broadway performer DID repeat their role on screen, such as Rex Harrison in MY FAIR LADY and Yul Brynner in THE KING AND I and both won Best Actor Oscars.

Shirley Booth starred in the play and film of COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA and won an Oscar, obviously Streisand in FUNNY GIRL,,,,,there are dozens of instances where folks who created a part on Broadway DID indeed repeat the role on film.

THERE WERE times when "replacing" a Broadway star was likely the right thing to do. I suspect Doris Day gave a more dazzling performance in the film of THE PAJAMA GAME than Janis Paige would have, "even though Doris Day was a huge movie star and Paige was not." In this case, Ms. Day was ideal casting.

Ms. Day to this day(oy, did I say that?) is disappointed she did not get to star in the film version of SOUTH PACIFIC. How wonderful that would have been!

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Why cant we just have faith in our performers? i disagree with queen latifah, but Alicia has done so many musicals its ridiculous. she graduated from the Professional performing arts high school for crying out loud! she can dance, sing, and act well it's not a bad idea. Give it a ****ing chance. God!

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I beat to posting this...smh...Am I the only one who thinks Alicia is overated?

The show only makes works if Effie is a far better singer than Deena and Lorrell -- more power, more range, more grit. I've seen less than stellar Effies before and it undermines the plot and throws off the whole balance of the show.

Latifah is a decent enough actress and singer, but doesn't begin to have the range or power that the role requires (they would have to rewrite Effie's music completely for her to even try to sing it) and on her best day, couldn't outsing any of the other people thus far rumored for the other parts. She would be a HUGE mistake.

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yeah let's say that Beyoncé is cast as Deena opposite Latifah as Effie, there's like no way audiences would buy that Latifah is the better singer.

then again put in this context Beyoncé may be right for this role physically but vocally she has a stronger voice than the role suggests. . .

i agree that deena's not bad, but whiter and more refined so to speak. now i think the queen could do an amazing job with the part, but not if cast with beyonce and alicia (who i actually think would make an amazing pair as deena and lorelle). if they both can act then i would give it to them in a heartbeat. but they would really need to find that one woman who really takes the cake over both of them for effie. i'm not sure that that's the queen. i also think deb cox would be terrific as michelle? anyone else?

Unfortunately, they'd rather have big names and guaranteed money than actual performers who would do the show justice.

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