DREAMGIRLS Announces Release Date For Original London Cast Recording

Following celebrated wins at the 2017 Olivier Awards this week: Best Actress in a Musical for Amber Riley (Effie White); and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Adam J Bernard (Jimmy Early), Sonia Friedman Productions is delighted to confirm that the highly anticipated Dreamgirls Original London Cast Recording will be released by Sony Masterworks Broadway on Friday 12 May 2017 via Amazon, iTunes, and all usual channels.

This brand new live recording of hit West End musical Dreamgirls, is currently available to pre-order via Amazon.

For all digital pre-orders, one track -'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going' - will be made available as an exclusive early digital download on Friday 21 April, three weeks ahead of the album release date. Amber Riley's show-stopping performance of this song at the Olivier Awards ceremony was broadcast on ITV1 on Tuesday 11 April and is currently available to view via itvplayer.

It has also been confirmed that 'Listen', taken from the Original London Cast Recording and performed by Amber Riley and Liisi LaFontaine, will be released as a single on Friday 28 April.

Featuring iconic songs from the musical including, 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going' 'Listen', 'I Am Changing', 'One Night Only', 'Steppin To The Bad Side', 'Move' and title track 'Dreamgirls', this double-album was recorded live over four performances at the Savoy Theatre in February 2017. With no additional studio re-recordings or musical overdubs it captures the on-stage exhilaration of the Dreamgirls original London cast, 14 piece band and the audience thus retaining the live in-theatre integrity of these special performances.

Produced by Henry Krieger and mixed by Andy Bradfield, the Dreamgirls Original London Cast Recording features Olivier Award-winner Amber Riley (Best Actress in a Musical) as Effie White, Liisi LaFontaine as Deena Jones and Ibinabo Jack as Lorrell Robinson - making up the soulful singing trio 'The Dreams'. Joe Aaron Reid plays Curtis Taylor Jr, Adam J. Bernard plays Jimmy Early (a role for which he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical), Tyrone Huntley plays C.C. White, Nicholas Bailey plays Marty and Lily Frazer plays Michelle Morris. Further cast includes Michael Afemaré, Jocasta Almgill, Callum Aylott, Hugo Batista, Samara Casteallo, Chloe Chambers, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Joelle Dyson, Kimmy Edwards, Candace Furbert, Nathan Graham, Ashley Luke Lloyd, Gabriel Mokake, Siân Nathaniel-James, Sean Parkins, Kirk Patterson, Ryan Reid, Rohan Richards, Noel Samuels, Durone Stokes and Tosh Wanogho-Maud.

Henry Krieger says of the Original London Cast Recording: "It is my great pleasure to share this 'alive' live recording of the West End production of Dreamgirls. Producing this recording and working with our brilliant Musical Supervisor Nick Finlow and studio pros Andy Bradfield and Tris Penna, has been a dream come true. I am thrilled to share the Dreamgirls Original London Cast Recording with those who have loved the production for 35 years as well as with those who are just discovering it now."

The long-awaited UK premiere of Dreamgirls opened in December 2016 to widespread critical acclaim, 35 years after originally opening on Broadway, and is playing to sold out houses and standing ovations every night at the Savoy Theatre, London. Dreamgirls is Directed and Choreographed by Olivier and Tony Award-winning Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Disney's Aladdin and Something Rotten!), with Set Design by Tim Hatley, Costume Design by Gregg Barnes, Lighting Design by Hugh Vanstone, Sound Design by Richard Brooker and Hair Design by Josh Marquette. The Musical Supervisor is Nick Finlow, the Orchestrator is Harold Wheeler, with Additional Material by Willie Reale.

Swarovski is delighted to be the Set and Costume Design partner for Dreamgirls, bringing to life the incredible visions of Tim Hatley and Gregg Barnes. Over one million Swarovski crystals have been incorporated into the production, adorning 275 costumes and 3 crystal curtains.

Dreamgirls transports you to a revolutionary time in American music history. Dreamgirls charts the tumultuous journey of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called 'The Dreams', as they learn the hard lesson that show business is as tough as it is fabulous.

With Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen and Music by Henry Krieger, the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett, opened in 1981 and subsequently won six Tony Awards. The original cast recording won two Grammy awards for Best Musical Album and Best Vocal Performance for Jennifer Holliday's 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.' In 2006 it was adapted into an Oscar winning motion picture starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.

'Listen' is written by Scott Cutler, Henry Krieger, Anne Preven, Beyoncé Knowles.

Liisi LaFontaine, Asmeret Ghebremichael and Marisha Wallace are appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes' Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

Track Listings

CD1 ACT 1

1. I'M LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, BABY Curtis Taylor Jr, Marty, Stepp Sisters
2. GOIN' DOWNTOWN Little Albert and the Tru-Tones
3. TAKIN' THE LONG WAY HOME Tiny Joe Dixon
4. MOVE The Dreamettes (Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson)
5. FAKE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP James Thunder Early and The Dreamettes (Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson)
6. CADILLAC CAR Curtis Taylor Jr, Jimmy Early, C.C. White, Marty, The Dreamettes (Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson), Cadillac Man, Ensemble
7. STEPPIN' TO THE BAD SIDE Curtis Taylor Jr, Jimmy Early, C.C. White, Wayne, The Dreamettes (Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson), Ensemble
8. PARTY, PARTY Effie White, Curtis Taylor Jr, Jimmy Early, Lorrell Robinson, C.C. White, Ensemble
9. I WANT YOU, BABY James Early and The Dreamettes (Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson), Ensemble
10. FAMILY C.C. White, Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson, Curtis Taylor Jr, Jimmy Early
11. Dreamgirls The Dreams (Deena Jones, Effie White, Lorrell Robinson)
12. PRESS CONFERENCE Deena Jones, Curtis Taylor Jr, Effie White, Lorrell Robinson, Ensemble
13. HEAVY The Dreams (Deena Jones, Effie White, Lorrell Robinson), Curtis Taylor Jr, Jimmy Early, Ensemble
14. IT'S ALL OVER Curtis Taylor Jr, Effie White, Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson, Jimmy Early, C.C. White, Michelle Morris
15. AND I AM TELLING YOU I'M NOT GOING Effie White

CD2 ACT 2

1. LOVE, LOVE YOU BABY The Dreams (Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson, Michelle Morris), Jimmy Early, Curtis Taylor Jr, C.C. White, Ensemble
2. WHEN I FIRST SAW YOU Curtis Taylor Jr, Deena Jones
3. I AM CHANGING Effie White
4. AIN'T NO PARTY Lorrell Robinson, Jimmy Early, The Five Tuxedos
5. I MEANT YOU NO HARM Jimmy Early
6. THE RAP Jimmy Early, Curtis Taylor Jr, Lorrell Robinson, Wayne, Ensemble
7. I MISS YOU, OLD FRIEND C.C. White, Effie White, Ensemble
8. ONE NIGHT ONLY Effie White, The Dreams (Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson, Michelle Morris), Curtis Taylor Jr, Wayne, Ensemble
9. I'M SOMEBODY The Dreams (Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson, Michelle Morris), Curtis Taylor Jr, Marty, Effie White, C.C. White
10. LISTEN Deena Jones, Effie White
11. EFFIE WHITE'S GONNA WIN / YOU ARE MY DREAM (REPRISE) Curtis Taylor Jr, C.C. White, Marty, Mr Morgan, Effie White, Deena Jones
12. HARD TO SAY GOODBYE The Dreams (Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson, Michelle Morris), Ensemble
13. Dreamgirls (REPRISE) Effie White, The Dreams (Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson, Michelle Morris), Ensemble