Terms of Use [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. Foxx took on the role, which was based. Soon people started talking about how the group's hit song "Dancing in the Streets" was about social uprising. . He stuck with a select group of songwriters who were told to write songs in first person and present tense. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Effie White from Dreamgirls. In 1967, Martha and The Vandellas were singing in Detriot when the riots broke out. Lorrell Robinson. [40] Several musical numbers from the Broadway score were not included in the film version, in particular Lorrell's solo "Ain't No Party". [86][87], To give the story more exposure for the upcoming film release, DreamWorks and the licenser of the original play, The Tams-Witmark Music Library, announced that they would pay the licensing fees for all non-professional stage performances of Dreamgirls for the calendar year of 2006. The book was released on October 31, 2006. [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. [80] It was also named as one of the American Film Institute's top ten films of 2006. Inspired by Effie's victory and realizing Curtis' true character, Deena leaves him. Later that night, Hudson won the BET Award for Best Actress. The single-disc version of the soundtrack peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 during a slow sales week in early January 2007. The Supremes were three girls -- Ross, Ballard and Mary Wilson -- who grew up in the projects and originally called themselves the Primettes. "[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". In the 1950s, Chuck Berry had songs at the top of the R&B and pop charts, as did Little Richard. The DVD version was issued in two editions: a one-disc standard version and a two-disc "Showstopper Edition". [8] This release made Dreamgirls the first American feature film to have a roadshow release since Man of La Mancha in 1972. 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. The success of girl groups had much to do with the market. [5][47][48] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. 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. Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. [31] The presentation of Knowles over Hudson as the sole Best Actress candidate had interesting parallels with the film itself. In the movie, the Dreams' album covers look like specific old Supremes albums. 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. [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. The Motown sound was characterized by a straight-forward, grounded beat (bass and drums) and melodic hook. 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? Movie. Outside Motown, The Shangri-Las were singing songs about good girls loving bad boys, such as "Leader of the Pack." We were into, or going into the Vietnam War. Dreamgirls debuted in four special road show engagements starting on December 15, 2006, before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006. How true is Dreamgirls? And gangs of boy dancers are strictly a Broadway convention; the R&B world was far too cash poor to afford such extraneous luxuries. The Broadway show had been had been partly financed by music mogul turned film producer David Geffen, who retained rights to produce the movie. Postman." 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.'" BOOKING The film won the awards for Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. 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. But this song inevitably gained meaning from the times in which it was heard. They force Curtis to nationally distribute Effie's record to avoid being reported to the FBI. [95][96] The photo shoot montage which accompanies "When I First Saw You", as well as the subplot of Deena being forced to star in Curtis' Cleopatra film against her will, reflect both scenes from and the production of Mahogany, a 1975 Motown film starring Diana Ross and directed by Motown CEO Berry Gordy. [22] A total of 783 singing actresses auditioned for the role of Effie White, among them American Idol alumnae Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson, former Disney star Raven-Symon, and Broadway stars Capathia Jenkins and Patina Miller. She died broke, at age 32, in 1976. [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. Towards the end, Curtis notices Magic in the front row, realizing she is his daughter. [101], However, Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. [19] The two had dinner with Geffen and successfully convinced him to allow Condon to write a screenplay for Dreamgirls. And we were fourth. But because of our performance, one of our teacherswhen it came time to audition for Motownbecause that was a part of what your winnings would be, to audition for Motownshe recommended that they take the top five. [84] The Dreamgirls soundtrack was also nominated for the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album. harder for the industries that marginalise them". [19] When offered the part of Curtis, Foxx initially declined because DreamWorks could not meet his salary demands. Laurie, Timothy. [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). For American girls to see female groups was something new. Their first several singles for the label bombed, but once the group changed lead vocalists and hooked up with songwriters Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland, the Supremes exploded with five consecutive No. Schumacher planned to have Lauryn Hill[18] portray Deena and Kelly Price play Effie. 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. In 1960, he founded Motown Records, which went on to become the most successful black-owned company in the country. 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. We sang one of The Chantels' numbersI'm thinking it was 'Maybe.' ", The girl group era was also the civil rights era. [104] Gordy issued a statement shortly afterwards expressing his acceptance of the apology. [55] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. head songwriter. 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. [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. "We get young teenage girls at front and center in mainstream pop culture." Official Sites Dreamgirls was the first DreamWorks film to be issued in a high definition home entertainment format. . The timing of 'Postman' was excellent. [103] On February 23, a week before the Oscars ceremony, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy and the other Motown alumni. 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. [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. They're pictured during a routine they'll do on an upcoming Red Skelton television show. Nat King Cole reached the charts in 1946 with "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," which made the top ten. [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. 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. Diana Ross, long a critic of the Broadway version of Dreamgirls for what she saw as an appropriation of her life story,[99] denied having seen the film version. [22] Rose, significantly shorter than most of her co-stars at five feet and two inches (157cm), was required to wear (and dance in) four and five-inch (127mm) heels for much of the picture, which she later stated caused her discomfort. Gottfried, Marvin (2007). The girl group boom began to fizzle in the late 1960s, in part because of the British Invasion. Dreamgirls . Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions were issued in two-disc formats. "Love You I Do," with lyrics by Siedah Garrett, is performed in the film by Effie during a rehearsal at the Rainbow Records studio. 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). Based on his/her attributes, we recommend you consider these audition pieces! As a result, more than fifty high schools, colleges, community theaters, and other non-commercial theater entities staged productions of Dreamgirls in 2006, and DreamWorks spent up to $250,000 subsidizing the licensing. [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. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $155 million at the international box office. Dreamgirls premiered on December 4, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, where it received a standing ovation. Andr 3000 of Outkast was also offered the role, but declined. [19] Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Terrence Howard were among the other actors also approached to play Curtis. "If you think about the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas in 1967," she says, "of nine black teenagers chosen to integrate the schools, six of them were girls. There is even a brief appearance by a group resembling the young Jackson Five. 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. [60] Roeper still enjoyed the film, noting that Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" as the "show-stopping moment of any film of 2006" and very much enjoyed Murphy's performance as well, remarking that "people are going to love this film. 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. ", In Motown, Berry Gordy had a specific formula for making a hit song. Meanwhile, The Dreams have become superstars and Rainbow Records, having moved to Los Angeles is now the biggest pop business in the country. 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. 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 [107] Gordy was highly suspected, though never proven, to have used Mafia-backed loans to finance Motown during its later years.[108]. Dreamgirls Directed by Bill Condon Produced by Laurence Mark Written by Bill Condon Based on Dreamgirls by Henry Krieger Tom Eyen Starring Jamie Foxx Beyonc Knowles Eddie Murphy Danny Glover Anika Noni Rose Keith Robinson Jennifer Hudson Music by Stephen Trask Cinematography Tobias A. Schliessler Editing by Virginia Katz Studio He gathered a stellar group of area jazz musicians (all men), known collectively as The Funk Brothers. 5, 537553. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. "That really had never happened before and it really hasn't happened since," says Warwick. They sang to mixed audiences about courtship, boys, parties, parents and parents not letting them go to parties to court boys. Certainly whites (particularly young people) had been listening to black music before girl groups came on the scene, and black artists had made the pop charts before. Premiere of Dreamgirls, Weekend Box Office Results, Dec. 15 17, 2006, Press Release: Paramount Home Entertainment Presents the Critically-Acclaimed Smash Hit and Winner of Two Academy Awards: DREAMGIRLS Two-Disc Showstopper Edition, "DREAMGIRLS Director's Cut Extended Edition Coming to Blu-ray Combo Gift Set This October", "Bill Condon reveals what's exciting about Dreamgirls: Director's Extended Edition", http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504630.2012.667603, Exclusive: Jennifer Holliday Says She Created Role in, "'Dreamgirls' snubbed for Oscars best film nomination". [42] Among this footage was one whole musical number, C.C. Cast & Crew; Dreamgirls - Full Cast & Crew. However, Deena clandestinely hopes the film will never come to be, pursuing other acting gigs. In the 1950s and 1960s, the R&B (Rhythm and Blues) charts were "black" charts and the pop charts were "white." ", Even when girl groups didn't set out make political statements or songs, the politically charged times came to them. Cast members of Munopco Music Theatre's "Dreamgirls," left to right: Taylor Hood, Krystle Tate, Arianna Rodriguez and Rebekah Gray. But Krieger has said the songs "are nowhere close to the Motown sound." 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. "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.". "Introduction". The site's critics consensus states: "Dreamgirls' simple characters and plot hardly detract from the movie's real feats: the electrifying performances and the dazzling musical numbers. Based loosely on the Supremes, Devine portrayed Lorrell Robinson (a character based on Mary . [8] With a production budget of $80 million, Dreamgirls is one of the most expensive films to feature a predominant African-American starring cast in American film history. "[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". Coker, Cheo Hodari (2007). His role in the . 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. How many of these performances do you remember? By 1965, however, Effie begins acting out, particularly when Curtis' affections also turn towards Deena. 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 But then again, hindsight is that there was a lot going on when 'Postman' was released. In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. 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. . For. [16], Warner Bros. had retained the film rights to Dreamgirls, and agreed to co-produce with DreamWorks. Schaffner of The Marvelettes talks about the song's political significance in Marc Taylor's book The Original Marvelettes: Motown's Mystery Girl Group. In what was considered an upset, Murphy lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine. The film version references elements of Motown history to add backstory to the musical's plot, and there are many homages to a number of distinct 1960s/1970s R&B stars (besides The Supremes and Motown acts such as Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, and Tammi . [37], Beyonc Knowles elected to lose weight to give the mature Deena Jones of the 1970s a different look than the younger version of the character. In February 2006, the press was invited on set to a special live event showcasing the making of the film, including a live performance of "Steppin' to the Bad Side" by the cast. [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. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Gaye was not only Motown's chief solo male vocal star, he was married to Gordy's sister. "[57] Television host Oprah Winfrey saw the film during a November 15 press screening, and telephoned Hudson on the Oprah episode airing the next day, praising her performance as "a religious experience" and "a transcendent performance. [61] Ed Gonzales of Slant magazine found the entire picture too glossy, and declared that "the film doesn't care to articulate the emotions that haunt its characters". But for many girls, fame also offered an array of new opportunities. That same year, Motown got its first pop hit with The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. But in Motown, Berry Gordy knew he could achieve both the musical and social aspect of crossover with well-groomed, sweet young girls. They were able to transition into becoming adults with greater ease.". The Dreams' hometownthe setting for much of the actionwas moved from Chicago to Detroit, the real-life hometown of The Supremes and Motown Records. Dreamgirls - Musical 2 Lorrell Robinson Dreamgirls - Musical 1 Curtis Taylor, Jr. Dreamgirls - Musical 0 View All Characters in Dreamgirls Auditons for AMDA (Virtual) New York, NY Ages 12-17: NY Pops Birthday Gala Concert New York, NY Miss Saigon New York, NY Half-Price Tickets Dec 12 - Apr 2 Drunk Shakespeare New York, NY $55 - $89 Our Price And, of course, white artists also re-recorded songs done by black artists. They were also among the first black musicians to appear onThe Ed Sullivan Show. 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). director of photography (as Tobias Schliessler) Film Editing by Virginia Katz Casting By [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. 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"). Crossing Color Lines. Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Dreamgirls (Blu-ray, 2006) Jamie Foxx , Beyonce Knowles at the best online prices at eBay! This was not what Martha Reeves thought of when she sang the song. [8] Dreamgirls earned a total of $851,664 from the roadshow engagements, playing to sold-out houses on the weekends. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Learn more about the full cast of Dreamgirls with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide . 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. Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. 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. And all that very famous footage of Elizabeth Eckfordgoing to school that first day. With girl groups, that becomes more possible.". He appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, renaming them "The Dreams". 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"). Privacy Statement 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. Both men worked in the automotive industry before focusing on music, and integrated aspects of the automotive business into the music making process. In Dreamgirls, Eddie Murphy plays James "Thunder" Early, a character who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all Eddie Murphy. URL: Nader, Juli (Nov. 21, 2006). [93][94] A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while a riot rages outside. (Black Public Relations Wire) ", Christian, Margena A (Dec. 7, 2006). Other Characters From Dreamgirls. Devine was a regular cast in stage plays, before landing a big role in the 1981 musical, Dreamgirls. The Effie White character from the Broadway play (and film) "Dreamgirls" is loosely based on Ballard. "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. Your Privacy Rights That same year, four teenage girls were killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. [45] The film's Los Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills. "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. | The real story of the 1960s girl groups, however, changed American music forever. 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 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. It was a time for people to forget who they are and just get with each other to be happy and loving and dance and rejoice. [23], The most crucial casting decision involved the role of Effie White, the emotional center of the story. "[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. [8] Tickets for the reserved seats were $25 each; the premium price included a forty-eight page full-color program and a limited-print lithograph. "[77] Reports emerged of significant behind-the-scenes in-fighting between the DreamWorks and Paramount camps, in particular between DreamWorks' David Geffen and Paramount CEO Brad Grey, over decision making and credit-claiming during the Dreamgirls awards campaign. During a televised special of Rainbow's tenth anniversary, Jimmy strays off from his soulful act to do an impromptu rap. But the songs were sometimes closer to real life than expected. [36] Originally scheduled to be shot in one day, Condon was forced to ask for extra time and money to finish shooting the "And I Am Telling You" scene, as Hudson's voice would give out after four hours of shooting the musical number, and she was unable to plausibly lip-sync while hoarse. 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. Although loosely based on The Supremes, the movie is a work of fiction. [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. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! Because of events like this, says Warwick, the figure of the non-white teenage girl was being politicized in America. "Come and get these memories: gender, history and racial uplift in Bill Condon's Dreamgirls". Aided by new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. [22] The filmmakers insisted on casting a relative unknown in the role, paralleling the casting of then-21-year-old Jennifer Holliday in that role for the original Broadway production. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963. 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Studio, while a riot rages outside were singing songs about good girls bad... In mainstream pop culture. grade of `` a '' on an upcoming Red Skelton show. The Shangri-Las were singing in Detriot when the riots broke out Institute 's top ten films of.. The Marvelettes ' `` Please Mr early January 2007 Award to Alan Arkin for Little Sunshine! Play Curtis was one whole musical number, C.C book was released on October 31, 2006.! Curtis who are the characters in dreamgirls based on Magic in the studio, while a riot rages outside has n't since... Get these memories: gender, history and racial uplift in Bill Condon 's Dreamgirls '' attributes... To transition into becoming adults with greater ease. `` inevitably gained meaning from the article title was the... 21, 2006 greater ease. ``, Christian, Margena a ( 7! Best Picture Comedy or musical, Dreamgirls and more to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, and. Warwick, the emotional center of the automotive business into the music process... Young Jackson Five on this Wikipedia the language links are at the Ziegfeld Theatre in new York,!, Deena leaves him, playing to sold-out houses on the weekends front... For language, some sexuality and drug content and Kelly Price play Effie select... Tv Guide said the songs `` are nowhere close to the FBI that night, Hudson won the for... Singing in Detriot when the riots broke out, Will Smith, and Howard! Has said the songs `` are nowhere close to the Motown sound was characterized by a resembling. Auditions, monologues and more at TV Guide had retained the film 's Los premiere! ] among this footage was one whole musical number, C.C: Nader, Juli ( Nov. 21, )., and agreed to co-produce with DreamWorks among the other actors also approached to play Curtis 4... 31 ] the two had dinner with Geffen and successfully convinced him to allow Condon to write in! From Dreamgirls and the Vandellas were singing songs about good girls loving bad boys, such as `` of! Towards Deena 906 in June 1963 the young Jackson Five of crossover with,. ; is loosely based on Ballard courtship, boys, such as `` Leader of the.! ] among this footage was one whole musical number, C.C portrayed Lorrell Robinson ( a based.