"When Broadway history is being made, you can feel it. What you feel is a seismic emotional jolt that sends the audience, as one, right out of its wits. While such moments are uncommonly rare these days, I'm here to report that one popped up at the Imperial last night."

So began Frank Rich's New York Times review of Michael Bennett's "Dreamgirls" when it opened on December 20, 1981. He also called it a show "that strikes with the speed and heat of lightening."

That's because the epic story written by Tom Eyen with music by Henry Krieger was almost entirely sung through and moved at a pace unseen on a Broadway before.

Director Michael Bennett created a revolutionary cinematic style of staging Dreamgirls, constantly moving the action and story along, shifting, wiping, and dissolving from scene to scene via the unconventional and technologically advanced (for the 1980s) scenic concept developed by designer Robin Wagner.

The Dreamworks/Paramount Pictures Film Sparked an Interest in a Revival

James "Thunder" Early and The Dreams photo by Joan Marcus

The 2006 film version of Dreamgirls starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy, brought the story to a new generation and sparked interest in a stage revival. In our decade of wannabe stars and reality television, the timing is ideal for this powerful story about the consequences that come with fame and fortune.

Rather than reproducing the 1981 production, a completely new version of Dreamgirls was mounted under the direction of Robert Longbottom. His challenge was how to preserve the spirit of the show yet appeal to our new millennium sensibilities.

"I think Dreamgirls is one of the all-time best musicals, with the best first act in terms of structure and how it moves." insists Mr. Longbottom. "It's thrilling, but a lot to live up to."

It's About the Price to Pay for Stardom

Adrienne Warren, Syesha Mercado and Margaret Hoffman photo by Joan Marcus

Based on successful R & B acts of the 1960s—à la the Supremes, the Shirelles, Jackie Wilson and James Brown—Dreamgirls follows eight characters over a period of 12 years as they struggle to make it in show business. Center in the story are childhood friends Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White who are discovered during a talent show and begin their ascent. Their true shot at stardom is to "cross over" or, as some see it, sell out to the Pop world but the price they have to pay for that success is steep.

Longbottom pays homage to Michael Bennett's original staging enhanced by new and revised songs, lavish new costumes and a spectacular, inventive set. Choreographer Shane Sparks from TV's "So You Think You Can Dance" teamed with Longbottom to bring contemporary style and moves to the show. Music written for the film version was added to the original score including a popular song from the movie that was revamped into a duet by composer Henry Krieger.

"The original Dreamgirls didn't have an 11 o'clock number to close out the show," Longbottom explains. "We're using the song, ‘Listen,' with a new lyric that is appropriate for Deena and Effie to sing to each other. It's sensational what it has done to the second act, as a brilliant climax for the meeting that brings old friends together after all their animosity."

How Would Today's Technology Inform this Production?

Ultimately, what surprised Longbottom the most in re-staging Dreamgirls is how little he wanted to change from Bennett's production. The original concept was to show how these three young girls from Chicago become trapped in the technology of show business, essentially controlled by it all. Robin Wagner's original design was based on what was new in the tech world of 1981, which now is mostly obsolete. So, the question became: what would the technology be today to frame the story?

Longbottom and Wagner explored numerous options but kept coming back to television as a means to demonstrate what it's like to deal with the level of "sudden" fame The Dreams experience. Wagner's new design consists of five doublewide panels of LED screens, hung from a track, covering the entire stage and able to move swiftly into multiple configurations. These 25-foot video walls spin, twirl, and fly in and out displaying breathtaking images that enable the story to travel across time and myriad locations in an instant. The innovative video projections are by media designer Howard Werner of Lightswitch. When combined with the stunning lighting effects by designer Ken Billington and sheer magic from the wizards at Acme Sound Partners, Dreamgirls' state-of-the-art production values thrust it center stage into the 21^st century.

An Ageless Story with Universal Themes

Moya Angela as Effie White photo by Joan Marcus

Longbottom acknowledges that his new production is technology driven but insists that it doesn't get in the way of the story, but, in fact, helps move today's multi-media obsessed theatergoers with the same power and emotional impact that the original did nearly 30 years ago.

"That's because it's an ageless story about the little girl who wants to be a star, and the price that is extracted for that fame," he explains. "It is such a universal story and surpasses the '60s context and the African-American experience—it's much deeper than its surface. It's about family, about redemption."The all-new Dreamgirls premiered on November 22, 2009, at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater in New York City, where the opening scenes of the musical are set. The production features a cast of 26 who quick change out of 580 outfits and 186 wigs during the show. It plays the the Curran Theatre from August 24 to September 26.

For more info on Dreamgirls. Meet Media Designer Howard Werner.
Listen to the Dreamgirls podcast. Visit the Dreamgirls website.­­­­­

Banner production photo by Joan Marcus

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