I first saw Dreamgirls
on Broadway mumbledy mumble years ago. I
don’t have the Playbill but it was not the original cast. And it was spellbinding. It was thrilling. It had Broadway magic as only the then most
expensive production in Broadway history could provide. So, the show has a special place in my heart
and memory. I have played the truncated OBC many many times, even though it is
heartbreaking what they did on this recording.
I have listened to the amazing Actors Benefit Concert with Audra
MacDonald, Lillias White, Heather Headley, Billy Porter and Norm Lewis
uncounted times. I and my family saw the
film version the day it opened. This is
one of my favorite shows.
For those that don’t know the show or film, Dreamgirls is inspired by the story of
Barry Gordy, Diana Ross and The Supremes.
A trio of young girls from Chicago – Deena, Effie and Lorrell – calling
themselves the Dreamettes win a talent contest in Chicago which gives them a
chance to compete at the Apollo Theatre in New York City, where they sing a
song written by Effie’s brother, C.C. We
are introduced to Curtis Taylor Jr. – a car salesman with dreams of show
business. He arranges for Deena, Effie
and Lorrell to become back-up singers for a James Brownish character, James
“Thunder” Early. Curtis sees African
–American performers not getting their due – but is obsessed with getting
African-American performers popular by “crossing over” to the “white
charts”. So, he recrafts Early into a
“sweet sounding” crooner while making the Dreamettes into the Dreams. And, from there, conflict informs the rest of
the story.
Anyways, I was very very excited when it was announced that
there would be a local production at Krannert.
It would be a special production in coordination with the Banks
Bridgewater Lewis Fine Arts Academy and SITI Company to be directed by Latrelle
Bright. A special “preview” performance
last October drew over 400 people to the Krannert Center. But, then, worries set in. First, it would be in the Studio Theatre at
Krannert, a smaller black box, which might not be big enough for what was
originally a “big” production. Then, I
would read on the internet about difficulties finding people to be cast. So, my excitement was tempered.
But there I was Saturday night , August 6, at the Studio Theatre
with one of the hottest tickets in town, as the three performance run had been
sold out for some time. The black box
was in a semi-round configuration with the audience on three sides- a thrust
format without an actual thrust stage. A
fake proscenium was on the fourth wall with “show light” standards harkening
back to the original Broadway version’s use of moving light standards. So far, so good. The band started up with those awesome
opening beats and notes. And, then, the
show itself started.
It’s easier to pick on things that you don’t like about a
production, because, for whatever biological or psychological reasons, those
things stick with you. (E.G. overall,
most people tend to remember more
traumatic events of your childhood than the happy moments). So, I’m going to start out with the
positives.
Director Latrelle Bright made this show move. Faced with limitations of the Studio Theatre
and a score that is written with almost no breaks, this production never
faltered or hesitated. It kept moving. She was able to use the space she was given
effectively. The actors seemed placed so
that everyone got a good view of the action.
Davion Williams was excellent as C.C. White. His voice was emotional and true. He started out as “young” as his character
and grew as that character grew. Nathon
Jones gave life to an older “Marty” – Early’s
original agent – conveying his exasperation at how Curtis Taylor moves and maneuvers. Tafadzwa Diener (whom I had in my production
of For Colored Girls) was Effie and
Ms. Diener continues to demonstrate a stage presence and demeanor beyond her 19
years of age. Her Act Two number “I Am
Changing” was delivered with such understanding and emotion that it stopped the
show. In limited stage time, Prince
Robertson as Wayne, one of Curtis’ “henchmen” excelled. Indeed, I think he was given extra lines in
songs from other characters. The 13 piece band produced great sound for the
singers.
Middle ground. Kvn
Tajzea made for a slightly villainous Curtis Taylor, Jr. But, for me, he didn’t mix in the drive and,
yes, humanity of the character. Curtis
is a charismatic figure and he needs to draw in the audience as much as he
seduces the cast of characters. Mr.
Tajzea had the arrogance – but not the heart
He also didn’t seem to make a connection with either of the two women
his character is to be in love with - Effie
and Deena. Now, there was some
significant age difference between Mr. Tajzea and the actors portraying Effie
and Deena which may have led him to hold back.
But, as a result, his performance lessened the central emotional
conflict of the show. J’Lyn Hope was
fine as Lorell Robinson, although her “Ain’t No Party” could have used more
emotion. She did not seem to have the
love for Early that should be driving the wildness of that number.
And the not so good.
Jasmine Dandridge made a game effort at Deena, but her age simply didn’t
allow her to connect with the character.
And she made what to me were some wrong choices. Deena is a difficult character, because she
is not to be as good a singer as Effie – even if the actor is as good or better
a singer than the actor playing Effie.
Deena is promoted to lead of the Dreams because she is “pretty” and
because she sounds more “white.”
Dandridge wore glasses throughout the show – which detracted from the “beauty”
she was supposed to be. I wonder if
there could have been some way for her to perform without those glasses. Yes, people can be pretty while wearing
glasses – but in the 60s and 70s, the “beautiful Ms. Jones” would not have worn
glasses, and certainly not the ones which Ms. Dandridge was wearing. She (or in concert with vocal director Justin
Brauer) made wrong choices when Deena first sings lead – she is not singing
“white” or “smooth”. Rather, she riffed
and engaged in some vocal gymnastics that are the exact opposite of the way
Deena Jones is supposed to be singing. She
sounds similar to how Ms. Diener’s Effie had been singing. Ms. Dandridge also showed little of the
initial hesitation and nervousness that Deena is to have when she is promoted
and first begins to sing and she lacked the emotional heft in the final number
of the show, which she seemed to rush. Again,
I think her age and life experience limited her performance. Age also detracted from Cedric Jones’ as
James Thunder Early. He looked too young
for the part. His clothes didn’t
fit. He played Early as a fool in the
early scenes, even though Early is not a fool.
Early is a top performer when the show starts – and he got there by
talent and personality – not by being a fool.
Mr. Jones was not able to convey any of Early’s character arc – the
rising frustration of a man with “soul”. To me, Mr. Jones did not show his interest
and love for Lorrell, other than in cursory fashion. The words were there – but not the
emotion. And, like I have seen in other
performances, Mr. Jones has a very limited singing range, which was not
expansive enough for this score. While
Samantha Jones has nice credits as costume designer, I can only speculate that
budgetary issues restricted what she could do.
The Dreams’ gowns were not eye-catching, neither in their first number
nor for their Vegas debut. The Vegas
costumes for Act Two were not garish Vegas costumes. They looked like a mixture of pieces off the
shelf, instead of the glamour that the Dreams were to exude. And the bane of community theatre reared
its head at this performance – sound issues were plentiful. Microphones were not turned on – or were not
turned off. Sound went in and out. Actors could be heard and then not heard –
even in the small space – in the same sentence.
At one point, an offstage singer was dominating over the Dreams. I heard the voice and was looking at the
Dreams, trying to figure out which one was making the sounds, but none were
singing.
Over all, I felt this production was lacking in the
electricity and excitement that I expect Dreamgirls
to deliver. It was a game effort – but
one that was undercut, I believe, by the difficulties the show had in
generating a cast.
One last note: the
audience was probably 85% Caucasian. It
looked like a stereotypical Krannert audience.
If the goal of this production was to expand the audience, it did not
happen on Saturday night. Still, by
presenting a show with a predominantly African-American cast, Dreamgirls did expand
opportunities. And given the sold-out run
of the show, this should encourage
Krannert and other producing entities, to present plays and musicals which
explore the African-American experience.
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