Dreamgirls
Written by Tom Eyen (book, lyrics)
and Henry Krieger (music)
Directed and Choreographed by Marc Robin
at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire (map)
thru Oct 28 | tickets: $41-$49 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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Marc Robin’s production shows why this musical is a classic
Marriott Theatre presents
Dreamgirls
Review by John Olson
With the national tour that stopped in Chicago in January 2012 still fresh in the memory and the 2006 feature film ever available on video, comparisons of incarnations of Dreamgirls are inevitable. No worries – the Marriott’s new production, directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, compares just fine and is another reason for fans to revisit this musical, first opened on Broadway some 30 years ago, of a fictional African-American trio of pop singers. While the tour that played the Cadillac Palace two years ago was a visual stunner, with Robin Wagner updating his original set designs to cleverly suggest a variety of locations in the music world, Marc Robin uses the in-the-round stage of the Marriott to great effect. He and set designer Thomas M. Ryan keep
While there’s less visual glitz in this production versus the big-budget proscenium staging of that recent tour, this works to the Marriott’s benefit by placing focus more tightly on the characters. Without having our attention diverted to scenery and projections, and being physically closer to the performers, we’re more able to connect with the characters, who are all presented (with one exception) with strong points of view. Raena White, a young actress whose work to date has been mostly in regional theater, gives Effie a real spine. She’s a tough cookie, and her “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” is a song of defiance rather than a breakdown. It’s a nuanced performance, showing Essie’s immaturity and diva behaviors while maintaining empathy for her as her character is first bounced out of the lead singer spot and then out of the Dreams entirely. And yes, she knocks her solos out of the park as much as you’d hope she would.
 
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As Deena Jones, the singer who replaces Effie as lead singer of the Dreams and achieves superstardom, Britney Coleman most convincingly transforms Deena from shy teenager to international celebrity. She’s totally believable as both and in her musical numbers displays all the skill and charisma (and dare I say it, beauty), that an international icon would possess. Rashidra Scott plays the third Dream, Lorrell, a character who frequently fades into the background, but is fully fleshed out here. The most grounded of the three Dreams, Ms. Scott gives Lorrell humanity and texture by showing the singer’s very real and steamy attraction to the singer James “Thunder” Early (winningly played by Eric Labuan Summers). Equally sympathetic are Travis Turner as Effie’s brother, the songwriter C.C. White, and Trinity P. Murdock as their manager Marty. The only disappointment, and it’s a modest one, is Byron Glenn Willis, who doesn’t entirely capture the duplicity of the agent (and lover to both Deena and Effie) Curtis Taylor, Jr. Like the rest of the cast, though, Willis sings and moves with great skill.
Director-Choreographer Robin has put together a sure-footed, high energy production that begins with ensemble members effortlessly traversing the big round Marriott stage as they’re playing acts in the talent competition at the Apollo. It continues forcefully as an R&B operetta that delivers story and character as successfully as it provides expertly executed dancing and musical performances. Though Dreamgirls was a sensation when it opened on Broadway in 1981, its success may have been attributed mostly to the work of its original director-choreographer Michael Bennett, and its place in the catalogue declined after Bennett’s passing. It’s just now earning status as a classic, thanks to the feature film and sensational live productions like this one.
Rating: ★★★½
Dreamgirls continues through October 28th at Marriott Theatre, 1 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire (map), with performances Wednesdays at 1pm and 8pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays 4:30pm and 8pm, Sundays 1pm and 5pm. Tickets are $41-$49, and are available by phone (847-634-0200) or online through Ticketmaster.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More info at MarriottTheatre.com. (Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, includes an intermission)
Photos by Peter Coombs
artists
cast
Raena White (Effie White); Eleasha Gamble (Effie White at matinees); Britney Coleman (Deena Jones); Darilyn Burtley (Michelle Morris, Stepp Sister); Rashidra Scott (Lorrell Robinson), Eric LaJuan Summers (James “Thunder” Early); Byron Glenn Willis (Curtis Taylor, Jr.); Travis Turner (C.C. White); Trinity P. Murdock (Marty); Kevin Barthel (Dave, Dwight, others); Brian Bohr (Frank, others); Ivory Doublette (Charlene, Edna Burke, others); Malynda Hale (Joanne, others); James Earl Jones II (Wayne, others); Brian-Alwyn Newland (Little Albert, others), Alexis J. Rogers (Stepp Sister, others); Kelvin Roston, Jr. (M.C., Jerry Norman, Mr. Morgan, others); Lorenzo Rush, Jr. (Tiny Joe Dixon, others); Adrienne Walker (Stepp Sister, Sweetheart, others); Jonathan Butler-Dupless, Evan Tyrone Martin (Ensemble)
behind the scenes
Marc Robin (director, choreographer); Doug Peck (music director); Thomas M. Ryan (scenic); Nancy Missimi (costume); Jesse Klug (lighting); Robert E. Gilmartin (sound); Sally Weiss (properties); Michael Hendricks (production stage manager); David Siegel (orchestral reductions); Patti Garwood (music conductor); Aaron Thielen (artistic director); Peter Coombs (photos)
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