dreamgirls the big screen adaption — Page 3

Tarralyn is the young lady who won VH1's "Born To Diva" contest. Her album "Tarralyn Ramsey" was released on Casablanca sometime last year.

Updated On: 1/11/05 at 10:54 PM

ive been reading all the posts and let me just say that i am shocked and appalled at all the negativity toward some of today's premier black performers. i dont think any of u with the exception of MargoChanning and a few others really have the knowledge about this show and the casting. nobody except afore mentioned few i believe is even taking into account the fact that DREAMGIRLS is a very dated musical and for the story to be relevant and to be interesting to that all mighty moviegoing demographic, 18-30. in order for that to happen there must be a little stunt casting. now i will probably be crucified for that comment but im being realistic, but the thing is making the best out of that stunt casting. you have to get the next best person u can find for the role. of course there will be a person out there witha phenomonal voice and acting chops that will kill as deena, but someone must carry the film. as sad as it is, its a business. money must be recouped. now Beyonce would make one hell of a Deena. she would. her voice is immaculate. she is one of the most beautiful women ive ever seen. her acting ISNT bad. i repeat: her acting isnt BAD. it's just too much. now bill condon is an incredible director and screenwriter. his films are so intimate, which is perfect for the intense story of DREAMGIRLS might i add and i kno he can bring beyonce down. when she acts, she acts hard. she overacts for lack of a better word. and a person can be an overactor and still have something there. a few celebs come to mind. Jamie foxx, will smith, mandy moore, im sure u could name a few too. now i would say she couldnt act if she DIDNT give as much as she does. and with some intense work with Condon Beyonce could walk away with an oscar nod.
now as for some of the casting suggestions and disses on this thread? terrible. JILL SCOTT is an artist, i kno her personally and professionally. she is one hell of an singer actress. she's done some work on GIRLFRIENDS and numerous productions. do i think she's right for this role? maybe. but she is definitely capable. frenchie isnt an actress. fantasia would be a great Lorell vocally, but i dont kno if she can act. and jamie foxx would make a great Jimmy.

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I agree with you that there will probably need to be celebrity casting in this movie. Unlike, say, The Phantom of the Opera, Dreamgirls is not enough of a "name" on its own to carry an entirely unknown cast. But there's a difference between celebrity and stunt casting, though the two obviously overlap. I'm not sure all the cast members need to be "stars"- this doesn't have to be exactly like Chicago. And whoever is cast needs to be able to carry off their part or the whole thing will be a waste.

Updated On: 1/11/05 at 11:27 PM

I don't know that Dreamgirls is dated, as much as it is a period piece, very specific to the time in the 60s when black groups were having a difficult time crossing over onto the mostly white pop charts, until Berry Gordy and Motown developed a formula that made r&b, which up the then had been deemed "race music," more acceptable to and eventually clamored for by the white mainstream. The Supremes (the inspiration for the show) were the first black pop group to play many major hotels and music venues in this country and it took a lot or work and arm-twisting behind the scenes by Berry Gordy (a la Curtis Taylor, Jr.) in order for that to happen. The career trajectory of the Dreams over the seven year period of the show, is very similar to that of the Supremes, the Temptations and other r&b groups and artists of the period and the musical changes in the show -- from r&b to pop to disco -- reflect that.

Again, Dreamgirls is not dated at all -- it's a pretty accurate reflection of the changing fortunes, not only for black artists within the music industry, but for black people in general in the country at large, from the 1960s to the 70s. That's the show, and any film adaption of it will HAVE to depict that.

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Updated On: 1/11/05 at 11:34 PM

@Margo
absolutely. i agree with u. my choice of the word "dated" was all wrong i meant the fact that the story takes place in the 60s, it must seem interesting enough to appeal to the young demographic, which a lot of period pieces dont if not done correctly.

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thats what i thought

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And since you must insist, Jennifer Hudson, Latoya Landon and Tarralyn Ramsey would sing circles around Miss Knowles. Heck, her own bandmate, Kelly Rowland, is a much stronger vocalist.

Beyonce is a very strong vocalist. She would be quite at home, if not hindered by the vocal demands of Deena. Although I love them both, I think that Beyonce is more of a vocal powerhouse than both Kelly and Michelle.

If we're not supposed to use someone like Beyonce to be in a movie about the 60's, then who are we supposed to use? I'm confused.

I wish Patti LaBelle was the right age so that she could play Effie.

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This may just be my opinion, but I don't think Beyonce is a vocal powerhouse. She's a good singer, a strong singer, and she has a fair amount of charisma, (and I like her) but she is not a singer on par with people I consider to be vocal powerhouses like Jennifer Holliday, Patti Labelle or Aretha Franklin. There's nothing really that amazing or interesting about Beyonce's voice. The fact that she's attractive combined with the fact that she has more talent than most "artists" on the TRL line-up has helped her to become as famous as she is.

Updated On: 1/12/05 at 01:15 AM

I'm sorry but I don't find it a requisite that a plus-plus-sized singer/actress be casted in the role of Effie. While I don't put myself out as a motion picture casting savvant, I'm no stranger to the inner workings of either stage or Hollywood. With that aside, I'll elaborate on my opening statement.

Hollywood has an aversion to FAT and UGLY, where female leads are concerned. We must accept this axiom and move on. On the surface, Charlize Theron's performance in 'Monster' was a breakthrough, but beneath that was the reality of a beautiful and thin woman playing against her looks in the course of a motion picture and the fact that it was an indie-flick. The ticket buying public can only take "female ugliness" in measured doses.

How could the powers that be work around this in regard to DREAMGIRLS? Simple...exploit the "color line" that intersects the Dreamettes. Deena could easily be casted as the GREAT MULATTA HOPE akin to a young Mariah Carey, JLO, Alicia Keys, or Beyonce Knowles. The key here being that Deena should appear much lighter in complexion and much prettier than Effie and Lorrell. Please hear me out before you dismiss me as a rambling lunatic.

Casting Deena as latina/hispanic or whatever is thought of as mixed race by today's standards changes the dynamic of the group and creates a bigger tent at the box office. For what it's worth, there is much discussion outside this forum about why Alicia Keys is more commerically viable than India Arie, as well as similar banter surrounding AI's Fantasia Barrone and the lighter-hued AI female contestants. I still attribute Kelly Clarkson's lead in terms of album sales and chart positioning primarily to her choice of recorded material and the "Law of Leadership", but will not digress.

Furthermore, Beyonce is most certainly on the short list for the part of Deena. Apart from Deborah Cox, she is SO the part. Only an idiot of a filmmaker would not be drawing up a contract for her signature right now. As much as it might pain some members of this online community, Beyonce is a huge box office draw. That, by the way, was axiom #2 .

Hollywood is still reluctant to go whole hog without an all star line up of drop dead gorgeous 20-somethings or screen veterans that have already bagged much Oscar hardware.

Now that leaves the remaining Dreamettes, Effie and Lorrell. I still maintain that the AI-contestant Jennifer Hudson has the singing voice and aethestic for the part of Effie. She's not pencil-thin which scores points with many that saw the stage version with Miss Holiday. She also has a round voice with a very good belt and big league chest tones. I find that she uses these attributes to good dramatic effect. I believe it safe to say here that she is "pleasingly plump" by today's standards and very easy on the eyes which might get her a pass from Hollywood execs, investors, and movie goers. The film could possibly serve as a "star vehicle" for her. An added plus is that she's not in the position to demand an astronomical amount of money for her performance, at least not yet. I also don't know how much creative license Mr. Condon and company have with the score, but offer that the film version would be better served by finding a substitute for that albatross 'And I'm Telling You'. The song is synonymous with Miss Holliday, a reality which could undermine the performance of Effie on screen.

Though I suggested the beautiful Dominican-American dancer/actress Zoe Saldana as Lorrell earlier, I'm gonna hold out a bit on that one because I'm not altogether certain that she could muster up the high/semi-shrill belt of Lorrell. More research is required in this area.

Finally, I honestly hope that casting for this screen version does not nose dive into the bitterness and vitriole that engulfed the casting for the part of Dorothy in the screen adaptation of 'The Wiz'. Perhaps 'The Wiz' is not the best analogy in terms of production quality, but poor Stephanie Mills has gone on record asserting that she was passed over for the part on film due to sundry reasons which had little to do with acting experience, talent, or preparation.

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Updated On: 1/12/05 at 01:18 AM

During the 60's many Latinos/Hispanics, primarily of Caribbean descent, had a hard time figuring out which side of the color line they came down on in the States (or which side they were resigned to be pigeon-holed to). Trust me, this whole busines of a color line was not unique to those that considered themselves "white" or "black" then or now either. It is a sensitive topic for many still and deserves further treatment in film. I honestly don't believe that 'Dreamgirls__The Movie" will work if it is a cookie cutter clone of the stage version, but I could be totally off base.

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Updated On: 1/12/05 at 01:36 AM

Kerry Washington, who plays Ray Charles' wife in the film Ray, would make a GORGEOUS Deena, maybe even a Lorell. I read somewhere that she has musical experience, not sure to what extent, but she already had some Oscar buzz for Ray this past summer (until the role turned out to be horribly underwritten.) She'll also be seen in next summer's Fantastic Four film. She's a star on the rise and if she's got the pipes, I could see her snagging a role.

Speaking of Ray, Jamie Foxx for Curtis?