Original DREAMGIRLS ?'s

I once heard (maybe in a thread on here a while back?) about some changes made to DREAMGIRLS early in it's original run. Can anyone confirm or explain these?

-There was a different Act Two opener than the one heard on the Actor's Fund concert--the reporters were more hounding and accusing than adoring and it opened with a longer medley.

-There was a bit more to the bridge section of 'I Am Changing' where Holliday riffed around a little to cover the costume change--this would be right before the big key change.

-Hard to Say Goodbye was originally much shorter.

Any help in elaborating on these and why they changed would be greatly appreciated!

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I read that Bennett was never really happy with the Act II opening medley that was in place on opening night. Later in the run it was replaced with the opening number that was devised for the National Tour that began in Los Angeles. The new opening number was a glitzy Jack Cole style number that clearly put Deena front and center in the star spotlight. I do miss the press conference that followed the original Act II opening. There was a lot of important information in that number that added to the drama of the story. I asked Paul Gemignani (who filled in as conductor at some point on Broadway) why they cut that press conference and he said the show was just too long and it had to go.

That 'riff' that Effie does in "I Am Changing" is solely heard in stage productions to yes...accomodate that costume change. When performers sing the song in their repertoire, they don't include that 'riff'.

Are you saying that the riff is still used in stage productions? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you but I don't think the riff was used in the show very long after the original production opened?

Updated On: 11/9/07 at 03:57 PM

Yup. Every production I've seen has incorporated that 'riff' in "I Am Changing". I remember even the 2 Effie understudies I saw back at the Imperial Theatre during the show's original run also did this 'riff'. And yes, like Margo stated -- the Act 2 Las Vegas opener was always being tinkered in one way or the other. I remember that Las Vegas press conference was sometimes in and sometimes not.

morosco-
pretty sure it's in the Sharon Brown Bus and Truck.

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