Dreamgirls West End

[Deena Jones]

Interesting that there is ZERO buzz on West End Board about Dreamgirls.  It starts previews in 4 days.  Anyone hear anything?

[neonlightsxo]

What kind of buzz are you looking for if previews haven't started yet?

[Theater_Nerd]

It's not uncommon for a show to receive a lot of buzz in anticipation of it's first preview and then it's opening. It's a classic show making it's West End debut. 

I haven't seen or read much in the way of anything aside from some interviews with Amber Riley and her appearance on "The Graham Norton Show".

 

[broadwayguy91]

Go to theatreboard.co.uk if you want to discuss West End stuff, the community there is much more active.

[Deena Jones]

broadwayguy91 said: "Go to theatreboard.co.uk if you want to discuss West End stuff, the community there is much more active.

 

"thanks broadwayguy91!  There are 39 pages on Dreamgirls alone!

 

[broadwayguy91]

Deena Jones said: "broadwayguy91 said: "Go to theatreboard.co.uk if you want to discuss West End stuff, the community there is much more active.

 

"thanks broadwayguy91!  There are 39 pages on Dreamgirls alone!

 

 

"

glad to help out a fellow theatre fan thirsting for discussion. lol

[ucjrdude902]

Be interested to see if this has hope of transferring to Broadway.

[songanddanceman2]

The West End Board on here died ages ago, it's a shame, I think the person running the West End side of Broadway World had done very little. 

[Robbie2]

Anyone attend first previews last night...thoughts?

[BenjaminNicholas2]

At the UK board, all people seem to talk about is the quality or quantity of belting in the show.  That doesn't interest me as much as a performer CONNECTING with the character, especially in a show like Dreamgirls.  

This show needs anger and pain.  Let's see if they can pull it off.

[Robbie2]

I just checked the UK board...dead. Not just about Dreamgirls but all posts in general.

What's up with that!?

[Robbie2]

[sparepart973]

The set is very simple in 2016 standards with little to no tricks or spectacle. In fact, anything could have been staged during the period in which the show is set. The design is actually quite similar to the original Bennett production, mainly utilizing skeletal structures with big lighting fixtures attached to them. Choreogrpahy very good, though it needs to get tighter. 

Vocally, the show is stupendous and has the best power belting in London. Three standing ovations, one for And I Am Telling You, I Am Changing, and Listen. The book is identical to the recent 2009 US tour, though luckily the staging is completely different. Listen sounds great as a duet, and it has some lyric changes from the US tour as well, and includes each others names in the song. There's dialogue between Curtis and (Hank?) woven into the ballad version of One Night Only (just like the 2009 tour) and then segues into the dance version. A quick lyric change to "that man wants to marry me, that man wants to marry me" and is now "my life is new life is about to begin" sung by Michelle. The title song is somewhat reminiscent to the Bennet version, though they wear fitted dresses, they have a feathers as well (what do you call them? I'm sure there's a name for this..). The costume change in the middle of I Am Changing is quite slick and less obvious than the original version. Got its own round of applause. In the vey last moments of Hard to Say Goodbye My Love (after Effie sings her bit), there's a little silent montage of the key moments of the show. We first see the Dreamettes doing their "Move" number, then Jimmy doing his thing, and then Dreamgirls by the Dreams. I liked the idea of the original Dreamettes doing Move but by the end with the four different tableaus the stage got way too crowded and messy. I think it would have worked better with only the three as young girls starting their careers.

Okay, so maybe creative team taking notes not groundbreaking as news, but Sonia Friedman was drunk off her ass and in act two sat in the box and was being rowdy and cheering the audience on. She had her head on the palm of her hands on top of the rail and was staring at the audience regularly. She seems like a person I'd love to cackle with. I said hi to Casey Nicholai and thanked him and told him it's fabulous. 

Liisi LaFontaine as Deena is okay, maybe slightly boring and vanilla, but she can sing just fine. Unlike the film, they didn't try to make her into a Diana Ross lookalike and none of her mannerisms is Ross-like. Ibionabo Jack steals the non-Efffy moments and kills it with her humor. Accent spot on. Lily Frazer as Michelle was horrible and could barely get any sound out. Shame, because she has one of my favorite moments, "now watch your mouth watch your mouth miss Effie White.."

I think there's a new song woven into I'm Somebody as an Act II opener, and the Vogue sequence is now gone. Amber Riley is a beast and totally kills it. She's cute, funny and her voice is outstanding. I think she mucked up some of the passages in I Am Telling You, but need to double check. It certainly isn't obvious if you don't know the song word by word. 

So yes, fabulous show. Needs to be tightened during the previews, but it's beautifully sung and really well executed. Seeing it on Wednesday to check out the alternate Effie. 
 

[Deena Jones]

Thanks sparepart973!  I really don't understand why, starting with Robert Longbottom's national tour a few years back, they completely changed the Act 2. opener.  I know Michael Bennett had changed it maybe up to 4 times during the original run and for the tours he directed.  The Dreams in Vegas opening (in any version) is better than that mess of an opener from the last US tour... 

[busylizzie238]

Really interesting to read your take on the show @sparepart973 , especially as you have seen other productions of the show. I sadly have to agree with your comments about Lily Frazer. I was fairly surprised as she was great as Nina in 'In the Heights' but then was fairly underwhelming in the part? I'm thinking that it may just be nerves and she'll grow in confidence as the show goes on. Will be keen to know your views on the alternate Effie too!

I summarise my main thoughts in my blog ( https://healthywholemealbread.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/first-thoughts-on-dreamgirls-savoy-theatre/ , but overall I think that it's a great production in terms of the vocal performances, choreography, set and lights. But felt a little bit empty afterwards and not particularly moved by any of the characters' stories, compared to the way I did with the film. Not having seeing any other productions, I'm not sure if that's a product of the direction or just inherently with the stage version.  

And also thanks broadwayguy91, for sharing the website, I live in London and had no idea that there was a live forum of theatre discussion like these boards, ha 

[henriquefho]

If anyone is willing to share an audio recording of the show, I'd be very pleased :)

[ggersten]

Busylizzie328, you should get one of the secret biuttons to wear to shows to meet up with other board denizens.  

[sparepart973]

I saw it again last night. Things settled in a bit more. I was expecting (and planning) on seeing the alternate Effie but apparently she doesn't start until the 3rd. Will have to wait until March when I'm back to London :) 

Unfortunately Lily Frazer is again such a bad link. Very disappointing. I hope she's not the Deena understudy. She's got the Deena look, so I really hope they cast someone who can actually sing. Whatever nerves Amber had the first night, are totally gone by tonight. Flawless. She shines during so many scenes, although slightly Disney Channel in other scenes like "Family". But when it comes to the sass, she got it down. 

Deena made a funny line flub in Act II that everyone picked on. She hugs Curtis after her big number and says, "Cece, how's Curtis?". There was a polite, discreet but universal chuckle from the audience. 

Nicholai was sitting the row behind me this time, and on my row was Mr. Harry Krieger. During intermission I thanked him for his gorgeous music and told him it's my second outing here, and that I saw Side Show last night. He was very nice and said "thank you, you're so kind". 

[busylizzie238]

Sparepart973 thanks for the second review, and I can't believe you met Henry Krieger! From interviews he seems like a lovely guy. 

Also ggersten, I can't tell if you're being serious about the button thing or not =/ 

 

[Dave13]

I will be there Saturday night. Will report back. 

[ggersten]

There is a button you can buy on theatreboard.com!  So I am serious!

[Dave13]

I saw it Saturday night.  I didn't catch the original production on Broadway, but saw the recent tour about 2-3 years ago.  I thought it was an excellent production.  Amber Riley and Liisi LaFountaine were excellent, but Riley stole the show.  I felt the crowd didn't have the same energy as when Riley was on stage.  Riley had 2-3 standing ovations during the performance.

I don't get the Lily Frazier bashing.  She did fine in my opinion, but her role is a backup singer and only has one or two lines on her own. So if her performance is underwhelming, I believe it's her part, not her performance.  

I hate to compare anyone to Cynthia Erivo, but Riley is putting on a performance that rivals Erivo. Although, I still choose to watch Erivo perform over Riley any day of the week. Overall, the entire cast did an excellent job.  I thought Ilbanabo Jack as Lorrell and Joe Reid as Curtis Taylor were exceptional. I hope they do a cast recording for this show.  

[RippedMan]

Besides the sass and the belting - givens for a Dreamgirls show - how is the actual production? Is the direction good? Did he make any interesting choices? 

[Dave13]

RippedMan said: "Besides the sass and the belting - givens for a Dreamgirls show - how is the actual production? Is the direction good? Did he make any interesting choices? 

 

"

I enjoyed the production.  The quick costume changes were great, in particular the costume change during "I am Changing" was phenomenal. I enjoyed Joe Reid's version of Curtis Taylor.  His version to me was more class but an ass****.  The prior version to me was just sleazy with no class.  Hope that makes sense. 

I saw the last touring version, but never saw the original Broadway production. To me the sets and costumes were improved tremendously.  Simply, the sets and costumes I saw the on tour were dated.  The sets on the West End were updated, but simple and not extravagant.  I thought the staging had a classy feel to it.     

As far as the audience reception, I thought the audience was louder and much more rowdy than a typical musical production.  It felt like more like a concert than a musical.  For the type of show it was, it was appropriate.  

[sparepart973]

RippedMan said: "Besides the sass and the belting - givens for a Dreamgirls show - how is the actual production? Is the direction good? Did he make any interesting choices? 

 

"

I've only seen footage of the original Bennett production, and this version doesn't veer too far away from it. As I've said before, it has a similar look with the skeletal "towers" with lighting fixtures on them. The costume changes in Heavy, Heavy, the onstage/backstage quarrels during that number, the costume change in I Am Changing, the table being pulled deep into the stage during And I Am Telling You as it's about to end while the new Dreamettes take center stage..all more or less identical to the original. 

It's a great production. In a way, it's quite nondescript as well because there aren't too many frills in terms of sets. The focus is pretty much on the acting, singing and sometimes the dancing.