In New York, Phil Spector produced girl group songs using his famous "wall of sound," a production technique that employed a huge amount of instruments and layered track after track on top of each other. All of this was part of his effortembraced by the girlsto convey a middle-class respectability. Jamie Foxx portrayed Curtis Taylor Jr., the ruthless record executive at Rainbow Records and love interest of two women in his star group, the Dreams. The film adaptation features an ensemble cast, starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonc Knowles and Eddie Murphy with Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson in supporting roles. During the course of production, Paramount's parent company, Viacom, would purchase DreamWorks, aligning the two studios under one umbrella (and giving the senior studio US distribution rights on behalf of DreamWorks). | [78], At the Academy Awards ceremony on February 25, 2007, Dreamgirls won Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Sound Mixing. 'Dreamgirls' Gets Standing Ovations, Cheers, Loretta Devine & Sheryl Lee Ralph Attend L.A. He stuck with a select group of songwriters who were told to write songs in first person and present tense. SUPREME BEINGS: WHAT 'DREAMGIRLS' GETS RIGHT, Detroit trio known as the Supremes have become a million-dollar enterprise in the space of a year through a combination of glamour trappings and a new rock n roll sound. These dark moments, where shadows fall across the dazzling film, resonated with truth. As with many artists who lived in the black community at that time, it was an avenue that allowed you to travel to other cities and states and gave you that 'out.'" In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to produce a film adaptation of Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based upon the story of The Supremes and Motown Records, which won six Tony Awards in 1982. Cookie Settings, Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island. [93][94] A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while a riot rages outside. Khylah Eure, Mariah Goiran, Clara Alford and Kayla Carrington are tremendous as Featured Dancers. "At Motown, The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes, groups like that, are much more clearly identified as teenagers," she says, "and arguably that's why The Supremes had more longevity. "[59], On the December 10, 2006 episode of the television show Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper and guest critic Aisha Tyler (filling in for Roger Ebert, who was recovering from cancer-related surgery) gave the film "two thumbs up", with Roeper's reservations that it was "a little short on heart and soul" and "deeply conventional". They force Curtis to nationally distribute Effie's record to avoid being reported to the FBI. The fantastic wigs look right, too. "[30][31][32], Hudson was required to gain twenty pounds for the role,[33] which marked her debut film performance. Aided by new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. For. This bright, beautiful and booming-voiced talent is a perfect example of how NOT winning the title of American Idol . Although rehearsals ended just before Christmas 2005, Condon called Hudson back for a week of one-on-one rehearsals, to help her more fully become the "diva" character of Effie. The Dreamgirls cast of the Broadway version namely Jennifer Holiday, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine were the original members of "The Dreamettes" (later "The Dreams). [5][47][48] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. Wake Me Up from this 'Dreamgirls' nightmare! Curtis soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership, appointing Effie's brother C.C. [103] On February 23, a week before the Oscars ceremony, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy and the other Motown alumni. And gangs of boy dancers are strictly a Broadway convention; the R&B world was far too cash poor to afford such extraneous luxuries. However, after casting was completed, the film was budgeted at $73 million and Warner backed out of the production. "[60] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter was less enthusiastic, stating that while the film was "a damn good commercial movie, it is not the film that will revive the musical or win over the world". Sometime later, C.C., who feels Curtis is undermining his songs' artistic merit by making them into disco music, quits the label. Cast & Crew; Dreamgirls - Full Cast & Crew. [49] Both DVD versions featured alternative and extended versions of the musical numbers from the film as extras, including the "Effie, Sing My Song" scene deleted during previews. [84] The Dreamgirls soundtrack was also nominated for the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. But for many girls, fame also offered an array of new opportunities. 1 hits at the height of Beatlemania. Freedom Rides began through the South in 1961, and in 1963 at the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Gordy did work on the Ford assembly line in his early days (the Gordy figure in the movie, Curtis Taylor Jr., played by Jamie Foxx, runs a car dealership), and he worked his way up in the music business starting as a songwriter for Jackie Wilson. [83] At the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony, "Love You I Do" won the award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Ballard never reunited with the other Primettes, unlike the sentimental ending to "Dreamgirls." This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963. [19] After sending Geffen the first draft of his screenplay in January 2005, Condon's adaptation of Dreamgirls was greenlit. In 1967, Martha and The Vandellas were singing in Detriot when the riots broke out. "We get young teenage girls at front and center in mainstream pop culture." He eventually drops Effie, hiring his secretary Michelle Morris to replace her beginning with their 1966 New Year's Eve debut in Las Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams." Florence Ballard was the alcoholic member of the Supremes who finally became too much of a problem and was unceremoniously replaced in the trio at the height of their career. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. Horn players would never run all over the stage as they do in "Dreamgirls" or they would be too out of breath to play the instruments. Ballard, the group's original lead vocalist, had a rough, grainy and more conventional rhythm and blues voice, as opposed to the light, lithesome sound of Ross' vocals. Joyner, Tom, Wilkes, Sybil, and Brown, J. Anthony (Dec. 12, 2006). [28] Though Barrino emerged as an early frontrunner for the part,[29] Hudson was eventually selected to play Effie, leading Barrino to telephone Hudson and jokingly complain that Hudson "stole [Barrino's] part. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! As such, Hudson became one of the few actresses ever to win an Oscar for a film debut performance. Staged with a mostly African-American cast and originally starring Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Cleavant Derricks, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Obba Babatund, the musical opened on December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. head songwriter. Congratulations to Santos, the entire cast and production team for bringing "Dreamgirls" to the MunOpCo Music Theatre stage. Left to right: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross AP Wire photo 1965 . Outside of the one bunker-buster ballad that closed the play's first act, "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" -- and no song has received a more powerful performance anywhere than the one given this song in the film by its new star, Jennifer Hudson, as White -- the songs are mundane, derivative and not capable of standing on their own outside the context of the musical, or other people might have recorded them in the 25 years since director Michael Bennett made "Dreamgirls" a Broadway smash. In Dreamgirls, Murphy plays the role of Jimmy "Thunder" Early, an R&B star whose character falls on hard times when his former backup singers, the Dreamettes, find success. Based loosely on the Supremes, Devine portrayed Lorrell Robinson (a character based on Mary . Both men worked in the automotive industry before focusing on music, and integrated aspects of the automotive business into the music making process. Of course, some of the girls were so young that chaperones accompanied them on toursometimes their parents. ", The girls went to Detroit for an audition, and eventually, they kick-started the Motown hit machine that would later call itself "The Sound of Young America." Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. [100] On the other hand, Mary Wilson attended the film's Los Angeles premiere, later stating that Dreamgirls moved her to tears and that it was "closer to the truth than they even know". [105][106] Several references are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records. [6] The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive. And, of course, white artists also re-recorded songs done by black artists. [71], Following the success of the Cannes screening, DreamWorks and Paramount began a widespread "For Your Consideration" advertisement campaign, raising several eyebrows by demoting Jennifer Hudson to consideration for Best Supporting Actress and presenting Beyonc Knowles as the sole Best Actress candidate, as opposed to having both compete for Best Actress awards. [97] In a snapshot, Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his show. . Schaffner of The Marvelettes talks about the song's political significance in Marc Taylor's book The Original Marvelettes: Motown's Mystery Girl Group. Instead the score is standard issue Broadway fare, decorated with a few drumbeats and occasional light disco drive, that stays heavy on narrative subtext, allowing the songs to comment on the story line. Laurie, Timothy. Though a music video with all-original footage was once planned,[44] the video eventually released for "And I Am Telling You" comprised the entire corresponding scene in the actual film. So the emblem of the teenage girl is being imbued with a lot of political significance. In Motown, Gordy hired finishing school teacher Maxine Powell to teach the girls how to walk and talk. Disillusioned by Jimmy's death and Curtis' cold reaction to the news, C.C. 2012. . How many of these performances do you remember? [46], Similar to the releases of older Hollywood musicals such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story, Dreamgirls debuted with three special ten-day roadshow engagements beginning on December 15, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the AMC Metreon 15 in San Francisco. Gordy, like his counterpart in the movie, had aspirations of making movies. ", "Musically, the girl group soundand popular music at the time in generalwas drawing on a lot different sources," says Warwick. "Love You I Do," with lyrics by Siedah Garrett, is performed in the film by Effie during a rehearsal at the Rainbow Records studio. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? The timing of 'Postman' was excellent. [67], DreamWorks and Paramount began a significant awards campaign for Dreamgirls while the film was still in production. "We listen to Pat Boone covering Little Richard songs now and it's just laughable," she says, "but at the time that was a real phenomenon. [42][52] This version, based on edits done for preview screenings before the film's release, runs ten minutes longer than the theatrical version and features longer musical numbers (including songs and verses cut during previews) and additional scenes. And we were fourth. But the success of girl groups had to do with more than harmony and lyrics. Says Warwick, "Even from the very beginning, their songs are a little more adult in the themes," such as in the songs "Where Did Our love Go" and "Stop in the Name of Love." [16], While Condon had intended to cast relatively unknown actresses as all three Dreams,[13] R&B singer Beyonc Knowles lobbied for the part of Deena Jones,[22] and was cast after a successful screen test. They sang to mixed audiences about courtship, boys, parties, parents and parents not letting them go to parties to court boys. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles ' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. The DVD version was issued in two editions: a one-disc standard version and a two-disc "Showstopper Edition". For the 2007 Golden Globe Awards, Dreamgirls was nominated in five categories: Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical (Beyonc Knowles), Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson), and Best Original Song ("Listen"). The real story of the 1960s girl groups, however, changed American music forever. [5], DreamWorks Home Entertainment released Dreamgirls to home video on May 1, 2007[49] in DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray formats. [45] The film's Los Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. Dreamgirls eventually grossed $103 million in North America, and almost $155 million worldwide. Privacy Statement Three Supremes albums Let the Sunshine In, Cream of the Crop, and Touch were reworked into Deena Jones & The Dreams album designs, with the only differences in the designs being the substitution of the names and images of the Supremes with those of Deena Jones & the Dreams. [80] It was also named as one of the American Film Institute's top ten films of 2006. [81] The film was also nominated by the Producers Guild of America for Best Picture and the Directors Guild of America for Bill Condon's directing. [50] As of 2017[update], total domestic video sales to date are at $95.1 million. [31], Dreamgirls received eight 2007 Academy Award nominations covering six categories, the most of any film for the year, although it was not nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, or either of the lead acting categories. Foxx took on the role, which was based. ", It wasn't uncommon for a group to get its big break at a high school talent show or, like The Dreamettes in the movie Dreamgirls, at a local talent contest. Dreamgirls . In one scene, Effie saunters into Curtis' office and discusses Rainbow Records' latest LP, The Great March to Freedom, a spoken word album featuring speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. The girl group boom began to fizzle in the late 1960s, in part because of the British Invasion. Everywhere they went on tour that summer, there were riots. By contrast, the actresses who originated Hudson's and Knowles' roles on Broadway, Jennifer Holliday and Sheryl Lee Ralph, respectively, were both nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress, with Holliday winning the award. InWomen of Motown, she says, "What I related the song to was my experience in Rio at Carnival time, and in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. By sticking to a highly publicized diet of water, lemons, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper (also known as the Master Cleanse), Knowles rapidly lost twenty pounds, which she gained back once production ended. [23], R&B star Usher was to have been cast as C.C. Dreamgirls - Musical. When Jennifer Hudson won the Golden Globe for her performance as Effie in the film version ( Dreamgirls (2006)), she dedicated the award to Ballard, describing her as "a lady who never got a fair chance". "It's sort of the female corollary to doo-wop at the beginning," says Jacqueline Warwick, author of the new book Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identityin the 1960's and professor of music at Dalhousie University. In a January 25, 2007 interview with NPR, Robinson expressed offense at the film's portrayal of its Berry Gordy analogue, Curtis Taylor Jr., as a "villainous character" who deals in payola and other illegal activities. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Effie White from Dreamgirls. With three Golden Globe awards and eight Academy Award nominations, Dreamgirls has renewed interest in the girl groups of the 1960s as well as Motown Records, the Detroit-based company that became one of the most influential labels of the time. The film won the awards for Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. The following year, Jimmy has descended into drug addiction due to Curtis' focus on Deena, along with the rejection of the charity single he recorded. American Idol's Jennifer Hudson as the Supremes' Florence Ballard? [73] The film's failure to gain a Best Picture or Best Director nod was widely viewed by the entertainment press as a "snub" by the Academy. When their first single "Cadillac Car" fails after white pop group "Dave and the Sweethearts" releases a cover version, Curtis, C.C., and their producer Wayne turn to payola to make "Jimmy Early & The Dreamettes" mainstream pop stars. Your Privacy Rights ", In Motown, Berry Gordy had a specific formula for making a hit song. He appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, renaming them "The Dreams". [4] Upon its release, the film garnered positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Condon's direction, the soundtrack, costume design, production design, and performances of the cast (in particular of Hudson and Murphy). Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. But the songs were sometimes closer to real life than expected. "Creative License or 'Sour Grapes'? The post-war baby boom had produced more teenagers than ever before, and the 1950s brought the explosion of a new teen culture with its own music, clothes, movies and dancing. But girl groupsfrom the black The Marvelettes to the white The Shangri-Laswere popular with a mixed audience from the beginning. ", Even when girl groups didn't set out make political statements or songs, the politically charged times came to them. Presenting himself as their new manager, he recruits them as backup singers for Chitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early. Yet before girl groups, it was easier for a song to cross over than for artists themselves to do, says Warwick. In the mid-to-late 1960s, they took on more of a tough girl image, wearing spike heels and tight leather pants to match their delinquent themes. Dreamgirls characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. [74] Some journalists registered shock,[75] while others cited a "backlash". ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Most of us are familiar with "Dreamgirls" through the 2006 film that garnered Jennifer Hudson an Oscar. [21] Murphy, on the other hand, accepted the role of Jimmy Early after being convinced to do so by DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. They announced that they were having a talent show. 2. [16], Warner Bros. had retained the film rights to Dreamgirls, and agreed to co-produce with DreamWorks. [7] "Perfect World," also featuring lyrics by Garrett, is performed during the Rainbow 10th anniversary special sequence by Jackson 5 doppelgngers The Campbell Connection. Towards the end, Curtis notices Magic in the front row, realizing she is his daughter. The two-disc version also included a feature-length production documentary, production featurettes, screen tests, animatics, and other previsualization materials and artwork. Gordy also packaged Gaye, at one point, as a supper club entertainer -- a common strategy for R&B performers hoping to cross over to white audiences in those days -- a scene repeated in the movie with Early. "[65], Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role of Effie onstage, expressed her disappointment at not being involved in the film project in several TV, radio, and print interviews. [16] Upon learning that Knowles and Murphy had signed on, Foxx rethought his original decision and accepted the Curtis role at DreamWorks' lower salary. Based on his/her attributes, we recommend you consider these audition pieces! Crossing Color Lines. In the 1950s and 1960s, the R&B (Rhythm and Blues) charts were "black" charts and the pop charts were "white." [43] "Listen" was the first official single from the soundtrack, supported by a music video featuring Beyonc. From the stage, they told the audience what was happening outside. 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