Sunderland Empire – until 5 March 2022
Reviewed by Kathy Grindrod
4****
Dreamgirls the Musical, like its namesake 2006 film, tells the story of the girl band The Dreamettes, in a story loosely based on the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes.
With book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger, it tells the tale of the collective and individual careers of three sweet but fame hungry girls (big-voiced Effie, sassy Lorrell and beautiful Deena) who come to New York to launch their singing careers as the Dreamettes. They lose the fixed talent contest but acquire as manager a former car salesman, Curtis Taylor Jr. (Dom Hartley-Harris). The wheeler-dealer impresario signs the trio as backup singers for soul star James Early (Brandon Lee Sears).
In the first half, In front of our eyes, and with the help of Tim Hatley’s fluent, brightly lit setting and Gregg Barnes’ iridescent costumes, we watch them morph into a sophisticated pop act, ready to take on the charts. As the music industry develops a taste for a new sound, we see the girls’ star rise and Jimmy’s own decline. Through a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune, and the realities of show business. While the glitz and glamour of that world are in evidence, Dreamgirls does not shy away from its darker realities nor from the pitfalls of fame, which tests their friendships to the limit.
A special mention must go to Nicole Raquel Dennis who plays the iconic role of Effie White. Her stage presence was phenomenal and her vocals were impeccable. From the first shiver-inducing note of And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going, Dennis brings down the house with her desperate, emotionally driven offering which she delivers with bone-rattling volume Listen, I Am Changing and One Night Only were also phenomenal. The choreography of the show was slick, extravagant and showcased the cast’s impressive move sets; simply superb. Backdrops for the production was magnificent with frequent spectacular backdrop changes of concert halls, stages, and TV studios. But it’s not a one woman show: Paige Peddie is terrific as Lorrell, a girl never afraid to speak her mind, and Holly Liburd (covering for Natalie Kassange) is touching as Deena
Dreamgirls is about the price of success. Some of that price is familiar: broken love affairs, broken families, broken lives, but it is more than a piece of prodigious showmanship. The ups and downs of show biz, its heady success, its heartbreak and humiliation, are made appealing and moving. Dreamgirls is huge, incredibly noisy and with the emotional impact of a juggernaut. If you like sequins and sparkles mixed with the swinging 60’s and some big songs then this is the one for you