Effie White -- Does She Have To Be "Heavy?"

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 4:06am

I've read a bunch of comments about this in other threads in relation to the DREAMGIRLS movie casting and felt the need to comment..... in detail.

Just to beat this dead horse one more time --

The one and ONLY reference in the entire book of DREAMGIRLS to Effie's weight is in "It's All Over" when Curtis sings that she's "getting fatter all the time."

At that moment, Effie is pregnant with Curtis' baby. No one knows, but her (and the audience doesn't find out until late in the second act in her confrontation/reconciliation scene with Deena). Her pregnancy, that she feels she cannot reveal, along with Curtis' affair with Deena, is the reason for her erratic behavior in the latter part of Act I and justifies (and adds a further tragic dimension to) the explosion of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going."

Jennifer Holliday was hired for one of the early DREAMGIRLS workshops as a slightly plump 19 year old girl with a once-in-a-generation voice (that was stopping the show nightly in the Broadway revival of YOUR ARMS TOO SHORT TO BOX WITH GOD). She turned 21 shortly before opening night of DREAMGIRLS in 1981, just a bit heavier, but during the course of the following year, all of the stress of having to deliver so much nightly in that show caused her continually miss performances (she SHOULD have had a 6-performance week like Lupone was doing blocks away in EVITA) and to gain over 100 pounds.

Holliday's imprint on the show is indelible and, in many ways, she is the definitive Effie (especially in hindsight, considering her subsequent life and career). As a result, though, people assume Effie has to be 250+ pounds, as she was at the end of her run. But, neither the book nor Bennett himself EVER envisioned the role that way (though Bennett, of course, loved her and her performance in the show). Certainly, it does seem even more tragic, if Effie's rejection at the end of Act I is partly the result of her looks and her weight gain. An overweight Effie, I suppose, does deepen the ramifications of the situation, but the show completely works without it.

But, in Bennett's vision of the show, Effie was tossed out because she was unreliable, erratic, a bitch, unprofessional, and, most crucially, was unable to adapt to the demands placed on black musicians and singers who were trying to to cross over to the white pop mainstream where the real money and power was -- vocally, temperamentally, physically. The main reason was NOT because she was "getting fatter all the time." Had she been able to be professional and show up on time for every gig and tv appearance, Curtis probably never would have fired her in the first place (remember that Flo Ballard -- the model for Effie -- stayed on with The Supremes for several years).

The fact is, if you look at the Effies that Bennett personally handpicked for the Broadway production (and he auditioned and chose each and every one himself throughout the full original Broadway run of the show and the road companies), you can tell that "weight" was the LAST criterion he was looking at as far as future Effies were concerned.

Shortly before Holliday left the Broadway cast in December of 1982, Bennett first offered the role to a young r&b/gospel singer named Julia McGirt that he'd found in an open call in Washington D.C. She was tall, thin (the Dreamgirls site with all of the pictures of former Effies has been shut down, but trust me on that one), but was a first rate actress and had the rarest of rare gifts -- a pure, powerful, pitch-perfect, perfectly-controlled, stunning FOUR-OCTAVE belt that was absolutely goose-bump-inducing.

In her final audition, she created a version of "And I Am Telling You I'm No Going" that was completely her own. Rather than in any way being some imitation Holliday's already legendary take on the song, she managed to find her own way into it, that was less about just sheer belting and melisma, but more about sublimely interpreting the lyric. Mind you, she still sang the hell out of it, only without the growls and raw-throated screams that Holliday had made famous in the song (and which had caused her to miss roughly half of all of her performances during the last six months of her NY run). But, somehow, though not as "EPIC" and "LARGER-THAN-LIFE" as Holliday's rendition, McGirt was nearly as effective and powerful. Her attention to lyrics made every word seem to emerge fresh and new and sponataneous. And towards the end of the performance when McGirt decided to jump an octave and sustain the high note for the remaining measures of the verse, the creative team went crazy (for those who know it, Lillias White's take on the song is based on McGirt's rendition -- only McGirt has more than an octave of range on White and her breath control is simply endless).

After that, Bennett decided that he wanted her to replace Holliday ......... BUT, he made the mistake of completely low-balling her too much in the negotiations. She was already making Broadway minimum in the ensemble and what he offered her was far less than all the other principals in the show were making. Also, word had gotten out that Holliday was going to be getting $20,000 a week plus limos, a hotel suite, and other fringe benefits for doing the LA run of the show. McGirt turned him down. His ego was hurt. He walked away. She stayed in the ensemble.

He then offered the role to Vanessa Townsell (another big girl with a big-ish voice -- not a Holliday voice, but a second-rate facsimile). She readily accepted the lowball salary offer and took over the role when Holliday left. But, within weeks her voice began to fail her. She started missing performances regularly like Holliday had almost immediately. Bennett elevated McGirt to the main Effie understudy and McGirt basically started to trade performances with her -- Townsell eventually would miss about every other performance in a given week.

After several months of this, Bennett finally broke down and offered McGirt the role at a salary that was comparable to the other principals. Once Townsell's contract officially expired, McGirt was Effie for the next year and rarely missed a performance (she had vocal cords of steel).

That's right -- a THIN Effie was Bennett's number one choice for the role after Holliday left the show. And a couple of others he chose were, if not slender, hardly overweight (one might describe them as carrying "a few extra pounds" -- Lillias was fairly compact, as was Sheila Ellis and Brenda Pressley). Sharon Brown (who headed one of the later national tours as Effie) had a very pretty "look" that might have been appropriate for Deena or Lorrell; and Arnetia Walker was actually terrific in all three roles (she was the only one who ever did all three).

Honestly, Holliday was perhaps (by the end) the "biggest" Effie, physically, of them all (along with, I guess, Roz Ryan and Townsell) during the original run -- and she didn't start out that way, but became that over the course of many months (much to Bennett's chagrin -- once Holliday left the Broadway production, he revamped the Dreamette's Act I choreography, when he realized McGirt and others could handle more complicated steps for "Move" etc...).

Anyway, I have no idea who Bill Condon is going to choose to be his Effie for the film version. I really hope it's some extraordinarily gifted young girl who can really act and has a powerhouse, showstopping instrument (and with all of the incredible, undiscovered talent out there -- I hope it's a complete unknown). Her "size" should frankly be the very last consideration in casting -- it was for Michael Bennett who created the show.

The success of "Dreamgirls -- The Movie" completely hinges on the casting of he role of Effie. I'll keep my fingers crossed that Condon makes the right decision.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 04:06 AM

[shira467]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 4:18am

Thank you SO much Margo -- I've yet to see Dreamgirls, and I must say you spoiled a little bit with the pregnancy thing, but I'll get over that.

That's an excellent, detailed, articulate, and well thought out post, and I appreciate that tremendously.

So...who in heck do we think should/could play Effie?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 4:28am

A brilliant, gifted, virtuousic 20 year-old UNKNOWN.

Forget the American Idol women (though they all certainly have talent).

I'd love to see Condon discover a great new voice and personality -- somewhere out there in the gospel music "hinterlands." Someone who has been ripping the roof off of her local church in solos since she was 12. TRUST ME, as anyone who has spent anytime in southern baptist or "Church of God in Christ" churches - there are ridiculously brilliant singers in every community in America. Let's hope that some of them get a chance to audition for Condon ..... and that they blow him away.

I want him to find the girl out there that can sing "And I Am Telling You" BETTER than Holliday........ I KNOW that she's out there. Condon just has to find her.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 04:28 AM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 6:47am

When they first started talking about reviving DREAMGIRLS a few years ago, wasn't the name heard most often for Effie Regina King (the mistress/back-up singer in "Ray")? She's not fat at all.

Thanks for posting that, Margo. It was great to read.

[fiesta1]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 9:06am

Many thanks Margo for your thoughtful reponse. I never saw Ms. Holliday in the role but agree that her 'size' afffected everyone's perception of the role. I saw Lillias White in the first tour in '88 and all could see that she was not 'large' --- but she could still sing.

I agree that the casting of Effie is key. I also believe that the right Effie is out there in some church somewhere, singing her heart out every weekend.

Effie does not have to be a full-figured gal --- she has to be less stylish/refined than what Curtis wants, with a "non-commercial" voice/style. She also needs a voice that absolutely overwhelms us. None of the Idol divas are right for Effie.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 9:25am

Let's pray they find her.

Margo, once again you astound me. Wonderful, thought-provoking post. If only there were more threads like the ones you start...

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 9:56am

Thank you Margo, that was very informative.

[robbiej]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 10:15am

To be honest, no...you don't need a 'fat' Effie. But having someone who not only sings different (blacker...if you will) than the other two, but also who has a different body type adds to the inherent racial issues of the piece. The ideal body type of a black woman is very different from that of a white woman (need I bring up the fabulously tacky 'Baby's Got Back' from yesteryear?).

For me, the thing that makes DREAMGIRLS truly great is its unflinching depiction of racism between the black characters. It brings to mind the paper bag test and such other such ridiculous comments. And these issues are still with us today. My dear friend from work who sits right next to me insists that the other black women on our floor hate her because she's light-skinned. She's been called 'high yellow' all her life...right up to today. She had to leave the Bronx cause she wasn't 'black' enough.

One of the things I also appreciate about DREAMGIRLS is that a larger woman is represented completely...and is allowed to be sexual. Too often, fat people are relegated to comic relief. They never get the guy...except maybe in Hairspray. Even there, the audience kind of acknowledges that it's a bit of a fairy tale. In DREAMGIRLS, the big girl is as fully realized a character as any other in theatre.

So what am I going on and on about? Frankly, I don't know. I agree completely with the fact that Effie doesn't have to be fat...or even plump. But a part of me loves the idea of a larger woman playing someone so funny, heartbreaking and sexy, all at the same time.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 10:35am

Thanks Margo. I saw the show the day after Jennifer left. I think I saw Vanessa Townsell. (It was a matinee). I can remember I was not really impressed but of course I had already listened to jennifer about a Billion times! (And the song was a hit on the R&B station in Philadelphia where I lived). Saw it on tour here in Denver about 6 years or so ago and it was just awful.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:01am

Margo, that was a simply amazing post. I've never seen the show, but with all the discussion about who will be cast in the movie, it was amazing to hear all the background surrounding the original production and the casting of Effie. I also feel they need to go with a person who has the goods and NOT try to get someone we "know" to "fit" into Jennifer Holliday's shoes. That's going to map out a certain road to failure. As far as names go with the movie, they already have enough of them associated to bring in the public. I say, go with someone fresh and bursting with talent who is an 'unknown.'

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:03am

Love what you wrote, Margo!

The debate continues, but I am glad you have put down the history of the decisions made to inform the many people who insist that Effie needs to be large. I've loved this show so much (second only to Sweeney in my fave list) and saw the original a few times (Sheila Ellis was my first Effie) and the revival several times (always standing room...need to move with this show )

I have to say that not knowing that Effie is pregnant, prompting the nasty remark from Curtis before AITYING is irrelevant. We are not supposed to know yet, but it is a hint. It is actually brilliant story telling. You are not supposed to know that the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd is Sweeney's wife Lucy, but it is hinted at until you figure it out (or in my case, as a kid mind you, not until Sweeney figures it out.) GREAT story telling (although many claim to never have been fooled for a moment...)
This said, Effie's size is irrelevant as well.

Thank you also, Margo, for reminding me about Julia McGirt...I wonder what she is doing now? Would've LOVED to see her in the original production, but never did.
Another thing about Sharon Brown, she was supposed to be great in the role, and she was Michael Peters' goddaughter (co-choreographer.) She also played the assistant to Zack in the movie A Chorus Line.

Finally, I definitely would love to have an Effie that noone knows about. Someone to catapult to stardom like Jennifer Holliday did 25 years ago. Again, I am confident that that is Condon's vision (see me crossing fingers.) I truly do not see the American Idol ladies in the role at all and hope that has been put to rest now that they have auditioned.

Go to church, Bill Condon!

[eslgr8]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:05am

Margo, you should be earning tons of money writing for a major NY newspaper instead of doing all this here for free! Seriously, not only do you write thoughtful, incisive, and accurate posts, but you clearly take a lot of time doing so. This one on Effie was magnificent. BYW, I saw a thin WHITE Effie a few weeks ago. Believe it or not, the LA County High School of the Arts did a colorblind Dreamgirls (two of the four Dreams were white, but wearing black wigs) that was one of the 5 or 10 best of the 90 or so productions I've seen so far this year. Effie, a pretty and slim blonde in real life, stole the show with her splendiferous voice and acting chops!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:11am

FINALLY, someone gets it right!

You hit the nail on the head Margo. That was the denfinative answer to the age old question.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

[morosco]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:46am

Great post Margo. Of all the Effies I have seen (Jennifer Holliday, Sheila Ellis, Julia McGirt, Vanessa Townsell, Roz Ryan, Lilias White, B.J. Crosby, and Frenchie Davis) I have to say that Julia McGirt was the most satisfying for me. Holliday had the voice....but hey, she just didn't have the acting chops. Whenever I saw Holliday's acting in the original production it always appeared to me as if Bennett had no choice but to give her line readings for the minimal book scenes. She was so young then.

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:49am

morosco - I agree about Ms. Holliday's 'acting' - but I wouldn't trade the memory of hearing her in that role for anything!

[morosco]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:54am

Yes. Holliday's singing will never be topped. I would imagine she's grown as an actress since then. I wish I'd seen her in the role a few years back in Atlanta.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:55am

Found a more recent picture of Julia McGirt. She's now Julia Nixon. Looks like she's singing jazz these days.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 11:55am

Ive always felt the same way about Jennifer Holliday's lack of acting, but have to say, I've rewatched the Tony performance and she is not just wailing out there...her heart is breaking!

I think I've always been mad at her for being out the night I saw it for the first time...the gasp every time the notice fell out of someone's playbill...
Sheila Ellis was wonderful tho. She won that audience over many times that evening.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 12:07pm

"TRUST ME, as anyone who has spent anytime in southern baptist or "Church of God in Christ" churches - there are ridiculously brilliant singers in every community in America."

Yes Margo. This is where Condon should be spending his time searching. I get chills thinking about the potential voices that are being raised so humbly every Sunday in church.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 12:12pm

I have always liked the idea of having Effie heavy in the first act and thinner in the second (by way of costume, makeup and/or fat suit). I think when she sings "I Am Changing" the loss of weight gives a visual effect to the song.

Whatever casting is done, Deena should in some way be more glamorous than Effie. We definitely need to understand the line "No one can see her on record". I think that's an important moment in the show

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 12:35pm

Great topic Margo! I agree that Effie does not need to be overweight. However, Jennifer Holliday made such an impact on that role that I cannot imagine it any other way. I have also seen Virginia Woodruff play the part as well as Marilyn McCoo. Miss McCoo wore a fat suit in the first act and went thin in the second which I liked but due to a case of laryngitis she left and was replaced with Miss Woodruff who was amazing. She definitely had her own take on Effie and fortunately you didn't sit there wishing you were seeing Miss Holiday which was the case when Miss McCoo played the role. As much as I would love for an unknown to take on the part in the film version I have serious doubts that it will happen. I am pleased as punch that the musical picture is making a return but it still isn't necessarily bankable. Yes, they will come out in droves to see Beyonce as Deena which I believe to be very good casting but you need someone who can top her in every aspect and I don't know that the studio would be willing to put an unknown in that role. I am looking forward to the film and to see what they do with it. Anyone who has ever seen the production done, especially Michael Bennett's version can attest to the lasting impact it can definitely make.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 12:35 PM

[Kringas]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 12:38pm

Yes. Holliday's singing will never be topped. I would imagine she's grown as an actress since then. I wish I'd seen her in the role a few years back in Atlanta.

I saw her do it in Atlanta in 2002. She looked great, was in great voice, and had indeed grown as an actress. I'm sure it doesn't compare to the excitement of seeing her doing it NYC twenty years ago, but it is one of the most amazing performances I have ever seen on stage. It was more than worth the nine hour drive to get there.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 12:38pm

Great Analysis!!!!!!

However, it is wrong to want her to be overweight??????

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 12:52pm

Margo - love your posts. Yet again, I bow before thee...so jealous...le sigh...

My question is this: how do you propose making it legitimate and believable that Effie is then not able to be the front girl/lead singer for the Dreamettes? I know there are many other ways to do this, and am just interested to hear how you think they should handle it. Also, they can always put their 'Effie' on a "Bridget Jones" diet of sorts and have her gain a lil bit for the movie, just so she's not supermodel stick thin - even if she just looked like a real woman, she'll look less glamorous, etc. than Ms. Knowles...

And out of curiousity...does your heart hold a special place for Dreamgirls or something that so many people seem so persistent that Effie should be an unknown and is so adamant about all the talent that exists everywhere in our country - why is this board not like that about any other movie musicals, or musicals in general?

Just curious...wanna hear what y'all think :)

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 12:59pm

All I know from Dreamgirls is some of the music, so I don't know the characters too well at all, but if Effie is supposed to be the better role(I guess)and the one with the torch song, why wouldn't Beyonce want to play that role since her weight is not really an issue??????