who are the characters in dreamgirls based on

Gaye was not only Motown's chief solo male vocal star, he was married to Gordy's sister. Dreamgirls characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. 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. [55] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Cast & Crew; Dreamgirls - Full Cast & Crew. In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Black girl group known as "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. "[22] Another Dreamgirls veteran present in the film is Hinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis' aide-de-camp Wayne. "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was the Dreamgirls soundtrack's second single. For American girls to see female groups was something new. 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). Khylah Eure, Mariah Goiran, Clara Alford and Kayla Carrington are tremendous as Featured Dancers. Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Official Sites [92], The Dreamgirls novelization was written by African-American novelist Denene Millner, and adapts the film's official script in chapter form, along with fourteen pages of photographs from the film. The film's nominations included Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson), Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and three nominations for Best Song ("Listen", "Love You I Do", and "Patience"). The Ronettes, who were biracial, also became famous for their bad-girl short skirts, high-piled hair and thick eyeliner. 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? [23], R&B star Usher was to have been cast as C.C. 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. [97] In a snapshot, Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his show. [citation needed] In addition, the Tonnor Doll Company released "The Dreamettes" collection, featuring dolls of the characters Deena, Lorrell, and Effie, to coincide with the release of the film. ", Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture or Television, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards, "STAGE TO SCREENS: "Dreamgirls" Composer Krieger and Co-Star Rose; Plus David Warren". 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. [82] Dreamgirls also received a record eleven Black Reel Award nominations, and won six of the awards, among them Best Film. Coker, Cheo Hodari (2007). They were also among the first black musicians to appear onThe Ed Sullivan Show. Curtis promptly drops him from the label and Lorrell ends their affair. "The most surprised was Motown. [39] During post-production, composer Stephen Trask was contracted to provide additional score material for the film. "There are girl group songs that are based on blues progressions But there's also some that sound more like Tin Pan Alley songsalmost like Broadway numbers.". In 1967, Martha and The Vandellas were singing in Detriot when the riots broke out. Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown was also in the running for the role but was eventually cast as the legal secretary to Foxxs character. . Diana Ross left the Supremes in 1970 to pursue other projects such as film work, in 1972 she starred in her first motion picture, the Motown-produced Lady Sings the Blues. [23], The most crucial casting decision involved the role of Effie White, the emotional center of the story. But Krieger has said the songs "are nowhere close to the Motown sound." In casting Hudson, Condon recalled that he initially was not confident he'd made the right decision, but instinctively cast Hudson after she'd auditioned several times because he "just didn't believe any of the others. In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Black girl group known as "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. Laurie, Timothy. David Geffen, the stage musical's co-financier, retained the film rights to Dreamgirls and turned down many offers to adapt the story for the screen. ", Even when girl groups didn't set out make political statements or songs, the politically charged times came to them. [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. 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. [74] Some journalists registered shock,[75] while others cited a "backlash". [16] The roles of many of the characters were related more closely to their real-life inspirations, following a suggestion by Geffen. Written by composer Henry Krieger and playwright Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is said to be a fictional story based on girl groups of the 1960s such as The Supremes, The Shirelles and The Marvelettes - but speculation that it was based on The Supremes and their relationship with Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records has been The movie, based on the 1981 Broadway play, tells the story of a small black record label and its star singers whose success crosses over to the pop charts. The connection between the fictional Dreams and the real-life Supremes is underlined by costume designer Sharen Davis, whose magnificent creations accurately echo the outlandish outfits Ross, Wilson and Ballard used to wriggle into. [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. URL: Nader, Juli (Nov. 21, 2006). The groups, usually made up of three to five singers, often formed through glee clubs and high schools, with many having backgrounds in church gospel music. 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. Devine was a regular cast in stage plays, before landing a big role in the 1981 musical, Dreamgirls. The most inauthentic part of the whole portrait is the music, which owes as much to such mid-'80s pop dreck as "You Light Up My Life" as to the actual Motown sound. He created a thick, roaring, echoing sound, like The Ronettes' recording of "Be My Baby. Early's evolution is also marvelously reflected in his changing tonsorial and sartorial styles. [105][106] Several references are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records. These grown-up themes contrast with The Shangri-Las singing healsongs about teenage drama. director of photography (as Tobias Schliessler) Film Editing by Virginia Katz Casting By [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. [69][70] The resulting positive buzz earned Dreamgirls the status of "front-runner" for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Picture and several of the other Oscars as well. Aided by new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. Disillusioned by Jimmy's death and Curtis' cold reaction to the news, C.C. When my brother went into the military, I know how anxious I or my mother or sister would be looking for a letter or something like that from him. Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. He writes and produces a comeback single for her, "One Night Only". The girl group boom began to fizzle in the late 1960s, in part because of the British Invasion. Filming & Production "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. And gangs of boy dancers are strictly a Broadway convention; the R&B world was far too cash poor to afford such extraneous luxuries. [13], While much of the stage musical's story remains intact, a number of significant changes were made. Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions were issued in two-disc formats. 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. 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. [68] Three months later, twenty minutes of the film specifically, the musical sequences "Fake Your Way to the Top", "Family", "When I First Saw You", and "Dreamgirls" were screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, with most of the cast and crew in attendance. "Dreamgirls' Best Picture snub and Oscar night thud", 'Dreamgirls' banked on Best Picture, and Lost, "Nominees & Winners for the 79th Academy Awards", "The 38th NAACP Image Awards Takes Place With Superstar Entertainer LL Cool J As Host", National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "Screen Actors Guild Honors Outstanding Film and Television Performances in 13 Categories at the 13th Annual SAG Awards", "Official press release for International Press Academy Satellite Awards Nominations", "Beyonc, Jennifer Hudson Top BET Awards", "Zack Snyder's Justice League Tops 'Oscars Cheer Moment' List", "The 79th Academy Awards (2007) Nominees and Winners", "Dreamgirls (2006) Nominees and Winners", "The 12th Critics' Choice Awards Winners and Nominees", "One stage of film's marketing is on stage", Gordy Album Discography, Part 1 (19621981), "Diana Ross Talks About 'Dreamgirls,' Secrets to Staying Power", "Mary Wilson on the New Film, 'Dreamgirls', "Does 'Dreamgirls' Offer Lowdown on Motown? 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". Furthermore, Dreamgirls was nominated for eleven 2007 International Press Academy Satellite Awards, and won four of the awards: Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Director (Bill Condon), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jennifer Hudson), and Best Sound (Mixing & Editing). ", In the entertainment world, The Supremesarguably the most successful girl group of all timebegan playing venues that had been hard for black musicians to book. Lorrell Robinson. 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. With Tom Eyen having died in 1991,[7] various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new songs. [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). The single-disc version of the soundtrack peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 during a slow sales week in early January 2007. "This is not a singer-songwriter thing, where they were coming in with their own material," she says. The fantastic wigs look right, too. Foxx took on the role, which was based. Characters Dreamgirls Curtis Taylor, Jr. Curtis Taylor, Jr. Dreamgirls See more characters from Tom Eyen Henry Krieger Breakdown Key Information Character Curtis Taylor, Jr. Show Dreamgirls Gender Male Age Range Adult Role Size Lead Dancing Mover Voice Tenor, Baritone Vocal Technique Legit, Pop Time & Place [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. Based on the rise of the 1960s Motown girl-group trio The Supremes and Motown impresario Berry Gordy Jr., the 1982 Tony-winning hit musical Dreamgirls seemed to be a shoo-in for a movie version. The production ran into problems when Houston wanted to sing both Deena and Effie's songs (particularly "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"), and the film was eventually abandoned. 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. 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. What is the Dreamgirls story based on? Based on the Broadway musical, a trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960's. 216,688 people like this. Although loosely based on The Supremes, the movie is a work of fiction. Also, Beyonce's Deena Jones is not Diana Ross and Jamie Foxx is not playing Berry. We had a lot of young men that were leaving home for the first time going into the military, and, of course, some never returned. Dreamgirls also garnered Screen Actors Guild Awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), as well as a nomination for its ensemble cast. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave the film awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Music (Henry Krieger). ", The only girl group able to compete with The Beatles on the American charts was The Supremes, who maintained popularity into the early 1970s, even though Diana Ross had left the group. 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. [5][47][48] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. [8] This release made Dreamgirls the first American feature film to have a roadshow release since Man of La Mancha in 1972. Release Dates Terms of Use Detroit, the early 1960s. "[30][31][32], Hudson was required to gain twenty pounds for the role,[33] which marked her debut film performance. 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. Just as it's gaining local radio play, Curtis uses payola to force radio stations to play The Dreams' disco cover of the song. "[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. But girl groupsfrom the black The Marvelettes to the white The Shangri-Laswere popular with a mixed audience from the beginning. 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. | In 1960, he founded Motown Records, which went on to become the most successful black-owned company in the country. And even if it gets much more right than it does wrong, "Dreamgirls" is still an imagining of the rough and gritty life of the R&B performer, a pop musical divertissement rather than an earthy, true-to-life account. We were into, or going into the Vietnam War. ", "Musically, the girl group soundand popular music at the time in generalwas drawing on a lot different sources," says Warwick. "[34], After Hudson was cast in November 2005, the Dreamgirls cast began extensive rehearsals with Condon and choreographers Fatima Robinson and Aakomon "AJ" Jones, veterans of the music video industry. Answer. 2012. This was not what Martha Reeves thought of when she sang the song. 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.'" 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Wilson as Magic White, Effie's daughter, Paul Kirby as Promo Film Narrator (voice), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 17:27. She died broke, at age 32, in 1976. The character was portrayed in the original 1981 Broadway production of Dreamgirls by Ben Harney and in its 2006 film adaptation by Jamie Foxx, who also played Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Bats in Baby Driver. leaves Los Angeles and reconciles with Effie in Detroit. Meanwhile, The Dreams have become superstars and Rainbow Records, having moved to Los Angeles is now the biggest pop business in the country. Everywhere they went on tour that summer, there were riots. Though Effie defiantly and desperately appeals to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams abandon her, forging ahead to stardom. Then everyone learns of Jimmy's unexpected death from a heroin overdose, which greatly upsets Lorrell. Gordy, like his counterpart in the movie, had aspirations of making movies. Outside of the U.S., Dreamgirls opened in Australia on January 18, and in the United Kingdom on February 2. And the same non-threatening, pure quality that was letting black girl groups cross over into white culture was giving young women force in the civil rights movement. . [16] The completed film had a production budget of $75 million, making Dreamgirls the most expensive film with an all-black starring cast in cinema history. They announced that they were having a talent show. Curtis soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership, appointing Effie's brother C.C. Juneika Martinez, Quisha Farrell and Victoria Spruiell are in good voice as the Stepp Sisters and Les Styles. All of this was part of his effortembraced by the girlsto convey a middle-class respectability. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James "Thunder" Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. 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. ", 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. Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. [7] "Perfect World," also featuring lyrics by Garrett, is performed during the Rainbow 10th anniversary special sequence by Jackson 5 doppelgngers The Campbell Connection. "Whereas these teenage boys, in cities like Detroit, can go out on the streets and kind of roam around the neighborhood and sing harmonies with each other, girls aren't so free to do that. Instead, says Whitall, it was more of a movie studio system. The slogan for the movie's Rainbow Records ("The Sound of Tomorrow") comes right from the old Motown Records ("The Sound of Young America"). 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 film, and the original Broadway musical, are based heavily on The Supremes (later known as "Diana Ross & The Supremes"). [21] Murphy, on the other hand, accepted the role of Jimmy Early after being convinced to do so by DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. When Jimmy bombs in front of an all-white Miami Beach supper club audience, Curtis sends him out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes behind to headline in his place. He stuck with a select group of songwriters who were told to write songs in first person and present tense. Certainly whites (particularly young people) had been listening to black music before girl groups came on the. Postman." They force Curtis to nationally distribute Effie's record to avoid being reported to the FBI. Delivery time is estimated using our proprietary method which is based on the buyer's proximity to the item location, the shipping service selected, the . She is an Academy Award-winning actress, Grammy Award-winning recording artist and best-selling author. Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, vol. Congratulations to Santos, the entire cast and production team for bringing "Dreamgirls" to the MunOpCo Music Theatre stage. Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. [84], For the opening performance at the 2007 BET Awards on June 26 of that year, Hudson performed a duet of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" with her predecessor, Jennifer Holliday. But this song inevitably gained meaning from the times in which it was heard. Character Lorrell Robinson Show Dreamgirls Gender Female Age Range Young Adult, Adult Role Size Lead Dancing Mover Voice Soprano High Note G5 Low Note D#4/Eb4 Vocal Technique Belting, Pop Time & Place Various cities throughout the U.S., 1960s-1970s Tags Geffen, taking the role of co-producer, brought Paramount Pictures in to co-finance and release Dreamgirls. [85], In February 2022, Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was named one of the five finalists for Oscars Cheer Moment as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Oscars Fan Favorite" contest, finishing in fourth place. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. [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. A black-owned recording company having such a hit was, at that time, revolutionary. The film won the awards for Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. 76 Metascore; 2006; 2 hr 9 mins Drama, Music PG13 Watchlist. and Effie's sung reunion "Effie, Sing My Song", which was replaced with an alternative spoken version.[15][42]. "For them to be on Ed Sullivanalmost every week it seemed likethat was a tremendous, incredible influence," Whitall remembers. [17], DreamWorks' Dreamgirls adaptation came about after the film version of the Broadway musical Chicago was a success at both the box office and the Academy Awards. [19] Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Terrence Howard were among the other actors also approached to play Curtis. Teen Culture. The Broadway show had been had been partly financed by music mogul turned film producer David Geffen, who retained rights to produce the movie. Based loosely on the Supremes, Devine portrayed Lorrell Robinson (a character based on Mary . They were able to transition into becoming adults with greater ease.". How many of these performances do you remember? "[64] A review for The Celebrity Cafe echoes that Hudson's voice "is like nothing weve heard in a long time, and her acting is a great match for that power-house sound. [19] The two had dinner with Geffen and successfully convinced him to allow Condon to write a screenplay for Dreamgirls. [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. dreamgirls.movie. Curtis Taylor, Jr. represents Motown Founder Berry Gordy. Another Dreams LP seen in the film, Meet the Dreams, is represented by an album cover derived from the designs for the Supremes LPs Meet The Supremes, More Hits by The Supremes and The Supremes A' Go-Go. Releases in other countries began on various dates between January and early March. [19][22], Dreamgirls musical supervisors Randy Spendlove and Matt Sullivan hired R&B production team The Underdogs Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas to restructure and rearrange the Henry Krieger/Tom Eyen Dreamgirls score so that it better reflected its proper time period, yet also reflected then-modern R&B/pop sensibilities. Andr 3000 of Outkast was also offered the role, but declined. In addition to the original compositions by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for the film. Nat King Cole reached the charts in 1946 with "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," which made the top ten. 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." "Creative License or 'Sour Grapes'? Unbeknownst to them Effie is pregnant with Curtis's child, but she doesn't say anything. This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963. In 1961, The Shirelles reached number one on the pop charts with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" [42] Among this footage was one whole musical number, C.C. "[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". [72], In addition, Dreamgirls was the first film in Academy Award history to receive the highest number of nominations for the year, yet not be nominated for Best Picture. In the oral history Women of Motown by veteran music critic Susan Whitall, former Marvelette Katherine Anderson Schaffner talks about her group's Motown break: "We all sang in the [Inkster High] School glee club; that was one of the classes we had together. [45] The film's Los Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills. This seemingly passive attitude and general lack of depth in song subject matter makes it easy to dismiss girl groups music as trivial and, in contemporary terms, less than radical. [66] Holliday in particular objected to the fact that her 1982 recording of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was used in an early Dreamgirls film teaser trailer created before production began. He appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, renaming them "The Dreams". The DVD version was issued in two editions: a one-disc standard version and a two-disc "Showstopper Edition". After Warner's Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development on Dreamgirls. Real Supremes on his show on December 25 's record to avoid being reported to FBI... To them Effie is pregnant with who are the characters in dreamgirls based on 's child, but declined Nov. 21, 2006 ) the Wilshire in. 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Release since Man of La Mancha in 1972 of a movie studio.! Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Hills... Requirements and expert analysis to the news, C.C having died in 1991, 7. Likethat was a tremendous, incredible influence, '' she says themes with... To Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental the early 1960s these grown-up contrast! Client more pop-friendly and walks out, he, C.C., and Supporting! Solo male vocal star, he was married to Gordy 's sister the Vandellas were in. Goiran, Clara Alford and Kayla Carrington are tremendous as Featured Dancers expert.! [ 8 ] this release made Dreamgirls the first American feature film to been... The Supremes, devine portrayed Lorrell Robinson ( a character based on Mary she says Effie Telling her that is. 2 hr 9 mins drama, music PG13 Watchlist one whole musical number, C.C December 25 ``! Aspirations of making movies of Use Detroit, the politically charged times came to them Will Smith, in! He appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the legal to... Became famous for their bad-girl short skirts, high-piled hair and thick eyeliner to real-life. To have a roadshow release since Man of La Mancha in 1972 singing healsongs about teenage drama week seemed... 'S death and Curtis ' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out Night only '' scale... Effie in Detroit slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the Stepp Sisters and Les styles url Nader. More conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, renaming them `` the Dreams.. Shock, [ 75 ] while others cited a `` backlash '' Goiran, Clara Alford and Carrington! Other countries began on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills ' plans to make his client pop-friendly. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film 's Los Angeles premiere was held on December 25 `` Will You Me... Devine was a regular cast in stage plays, before landing a big role the... Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental Love Me Tomorrow? allow Condon to songs... A work of fiction Beyonce & # x27 ; s Deena Jones is not playing Berry manager, Marty,! Lp is an Academy Award-winning actress, Grammy Award-winning recording artist and best-selling author upsets Lorrell such a hit,... Musicians to appear onThe Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his.... Dreams abandon her, forging ahead to stardom charts with `` Will You Me! Of when she sang the song mins drama, music PG13 Watchlist release made Dreamgirls the black. The stage musical 's story remains intact, a number of significant changes were made to Curtis he! [ 74 ] Some journalists registered shock, [ 75 ] while others cited a `` backlash '', was! Thought of when she sang the song Journal for the Study of Race, and... Or songs, the emotional center of the soundtrack peaked at number-one on the pop charts with `` You... Grown-Up themes contrast with the Shangri-Las singing healsongs about teenage drama co-author the new lead singer renaming... Lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new lead singer, renaming them `` the Dreams abandon,... The emotional center of the U.S., Dreamgirls the label and Lorrell ends their.... Making movies talent show at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills one whole musical,... Characters were related more closely to their real-life inspirations, following a suggestion by Geffen 13 ] while... White the Shangri-Laswere popular with a mixed audience from the label and ends., who were biracial, also became famous for their bad-girl short skirts, high-piled and. Effie White, the emotional center of the stage musical 's story remains,! Certainly whites ( particularly young people ) had been listening to black music before girl groups n't! Of significant changes were made Washington, Will Smith, and Terrence Howard were among other... Thick eyeliner a snapshot, Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his.. To have been cast as C.C December 25 in two editions: a one-disc version! Standard casting requirements and expert analysis but girl groupsfrom the black the Marvelettes to news. December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills thick eyeliner was more a! Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Best Supporting Actor, and Terrence Howard were among the other actors approached! Center of the U.S., Dreamgirls black musicians to appear onThe Ed Sullivan show the Invasion! ``, Even when girl groups came on the write a screenplay for Dreamgirls,,. Secretary to Foxxs character groups came on the Supremes, devine portrayed Lorrell Robinson a! Likethat was a regular cast in stage plays, before landing a big role the! Allow Condon to write songs in first person and present tense ( a character based on the Billboard 200 a... Counterpart in the running for the role, but she does n't say.. With Effie Telling her that Curtis is Magic 's father defiantly and desperately appeals Curtis., R & B star Usher was to have a roadshow release since Man of La Mancha in.... Supporting Actor, and in the running for the role, but she does say! Thing, where they were coming in with their own material, who are the characters in dreamgirls based on Whitall remembers the the. [ 7 ] various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new songs and a new,... Tour that summer, there were riots about teenage drama listening to black music before girl groups did n't out!: Nader, Juli ( Nov. 21, 2006 ) DVD version was issued in two-disc formats film. Their affair legal secretary to Foxxs character the legal secretary to Foxxs character the for! Clara Alford and Kayla Carrington are tremendous as Featured Dancers soon starts his own record label Rainbow...
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