One Night Only - The Dreamgirls Love Thread

[soapguy17]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 6:59pm

I like this idea.

[i'm_back]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 7:05pm

amazing show!

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:38pm

Great thread

I love the show for the music, the score is amazing.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 11:15pm

"I am a woman now."
"Did you see those men that Curtis was sittin' with tonight? I just KNOW that something's goin' on."
"...Did you hear what I've said Deena?"

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 11:54pm

So, any links or anything to the new trailer that is supposed to be premiering today?

[catstagestud]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 12:56am

Oooohh! I forgot! That is coming up; midnight!! I wonder where it's gonna premiere.

Cheers,

Christopher

[luvliza89]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 1:17am

Actually, tonight (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday) we are supposed to get more "teasers" of the trailer on Entertainment Tonight. That's what I heard. Then on Wednesday we are supposed to have the full trailer.

Fun, huh?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 3:59pm

I honestly thought it premiered today

[gonnapassmealaw]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 4:12pm

I'm in love with this show. December can't come fast enough!!!

My favorite moment is during Heavy where Effie goes up to the high note and Lorell tops it. Live it's electrifying.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 5:21pm

Here's a great fan site for Dreamgirls...


http://dreamgirlsfans.blogspot.com/

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 5:32pm

I must be the dumbest person on Earth, but I don't see a "movie trailer" section on itunes

[Funny Face]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 5:54pm

LOVE Deamgirls! I'll be there opening night at the movie :)

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 5:54pm

As will I!

[Wildcard]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 6:04pm

Here's a question... why should people care about the character of Effie other than for her amazing voice? She has displayed nothing but arrogance, a diva behavior and her selfishness could be seen as bringing down the other girls. Care to comment?

[Ciaron McCarthy]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 6:17pm

Love love love this show!! Saw the OBC (dont remember it) and The Concert. Love it!!

Favorite part of the show? Bennetts choreography in "Steppin to the Bad Side"

[Kringas]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 6:19pm

I can see that, Wildcard, but I think that that's oversimplifying the case against Effie. It's true that she does exhibit all that rotten behavior, but over the course of the first act, she's dumped not only as the lead singer of the group, but eventually dumped by her man as well. The characters who attack her in "It's All Over" are justified, but it's not like some of Effie's bad behavior wasn't provoked. She also shows considerably growth over the course of the second act.

I think the hands of a the right actress she should be found to be a sympathetic role. As an audience, we should care because she's the underdog (and granted, that's partially her own doing) and she triumphs in the end, probably more than any other character in the show.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 7:03pm

****spoilers ahead****


Effie has attitude from the start, but she's very close to her (girl)friends in the group. And she does have the talent to back up her arrogance.

Curtis makes the mistake of sweet talking her right up front to get her to agree to back up Jimmy Early. He "plays" on her attraction to him to get what he wants.

Which of course leads to her getting pregnant by him. Curtis is the real villain of the show, not Effie. She was used, and she loves him. Then he decides to move her to backup and put Deena (who he is falling in love with) in the lead. It is all of his manipulations and his deceptions that create the big rift between Effie and the group. Her attitude gets worse, but she is also gaining weight and missing rehearsals because she's pregnant and trying to hide it.

I would also look for a bit of an "edge" in Beyonce's Deena. She's got a little Eve Harrington in her, according to an interview where she discussed it. She's not the naive victim who shoots to super-stardom. She sees an opportunity to snag Curtis and the lead spot, and she takes it and runs with it. So there is definitely a bit of betrayal going on there, as well (in the film).

Since the beginning of the process of adapting Dreamgirls for film, I kinda wish they had written in an abortion for Deena. It would be controversial, to be sure... but it would also help dramatically elevate the second half of the story. Hear me out... Deena is well on her way to stardom, wants to break into films as an actress, and finds out she's pregnant from Curtis. So she makes the tearful decision to terminate the pregnancy, which could also add to the "divide" between her and Curtis, particularly if he encourages her to end the pregnancy. I think it would have made for an amazing "confrontation" scene between Effie and Deena at the end. Effie chose Curtis (who leaves her) and the baby (who she keeps) over fame and fortune. Deena chooses Curtis (whom she divorces) and fame and fortune (over keeping her baby). Boy, would those two ladies have a lot to talk about, in the end.


****end spoilers****

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 7:33pm

The exclusive montage featured on iTunes and apple.com is not the official theatrical trailer. The official theatrical trailer is in fact approx. 2 minutes and 30 seconds long and wiloll premiere in it's entirety on all Viacom network assets (Viacom owns Paramount as well as a host of television stations) on Wednesday, October 18th at 10:00pm.

For more info please visit:
http://dreamgirlsfans.blogspot.com

[wickedfan]

Posted: 10/16/06 at 8:16pm

Anybody see the tiny clip they had of Dremgirls on ET tonight? It was a teaser for the teaser tomorrow for the trailer which will be realeased on around 20 channels and websites come Wednesday. Though the clip they showed was short, it was great!

[Funny Face]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 4:13pm

Yeah, I saw it. Exciting stuff!

I'm actually considering entering that essay contest to win tickets to the premiere.

[Kringas]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 4:18pm

Her attitude gets worse, but she is also gaining weight and missing rehearsals because she's pregnant and trying to hide it.

Do you think Effie knows she's pregnant at the end of act one? Not that there's one right answer, but I always assumed she wasn't yet aware she was pregnant then.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 4:25pm

I don't think she is aware of it.

[Kringas]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 4:32pm

That's what I always thought, too. She could be deflecting when she says she's not feeling well, but I always figured she really wasn't feeling well by that point, and didn't know why.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 4:48pm

I was always pretty sure that she DID know that she was pregnant, but just couldn't tell Curtis because of the situation with Deena, which is the main reason for her erratic and "difficult" behavior. And I know that at least one of the actresses who played Effie told me she used Effie's pregnancy as part of her underlying motivation in playing the "It's All Over/I'm Not Going" scene. It really adds a level of intensity and desperation to her rejection at the end of Act One.

[Kringas]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 4:59pm

I see what you're saying, Margo, and I certainly agree that any actress playing Effie could use that to her advantage, but it still doesn't jibe with me that she knows at that point. Also, for as unglued as she comes in the final minutes of act one, I'm surprised she wouldn't let it slip out that she was carrying his child. She's pretty much given up all her dignity at the point; I can't believe she wouldn't try to use the fact that she was pregnant to keep him if she was already armed with that knowledge.