who are the characters in dreamgirls based on

[41], Four new songs were added for the film: "Love You I Do", "Patience", "Perfect World," and "Listen. Dreamgirls found renewed popularity with a 2006 film adaptation starring Jennifer Hudson as Effie, Beyonc as Deena, Anika Noni Rose as Lorell, and Jamie Foxx as Curtis, but it's the men and. Instead, says Whitall, it was more of a movie studio system. [5] At the 79th Academy Awards, the film received a leading eight nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress (for Hudson), and Best Sound Mixing. Like the rest of the cast, Eddie does all his own singing in the film, but even he admits that the pop albums he put out in the '80s weren't a good example of what he could do. Characters Dreamgirls Curtis Taylor, Jr. Curtis Taylor, Jr. Dreamgirls See more characters from Tom Eyen Henry Krieger Breakdown Key Information Character Curtis Taylor, Jr. Show Dreamgirls Gender Male Age Range Adult Role Size Lead Dancing Mover Voice Tenor, Baritone Vocal Technique Legit, Pop Time & Place In addition to the original compositions by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for the film. And the same non-threatening, pure quality that was letting black girl groups cross over into white culture was giving young women force in the civil rights movement. [85], In February 2022, Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was named one of the five finalists for Oscars Cheer Moment as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Oscars Fan Favorite" contest, finishing in fourth place. dreamgirls.movie. These dark moments, where shadows fall across the dazzling film, resonated with truth. [16] The completed film had a production budget of $75 million, making Dreamgirls the most expensive film with an all-black starring cast in cinema history. . [40] Several musical numbers from the Broadway score were not included in the film version, in particular Lorrell's solo "Ain't No Party". "Dreamgirls" is the fictionalized story of the creation of The Supremes and the rise of Berry Gordy and Motown. InWomen of Motown, she says, "What I related the song to was my experience in Rio at Carnival time, and in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. [93][94] A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while a riot rages outside. [101], However, Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. In the oral history Women of Motown by veteran music critic Susan Whitall, former Marvelette Katherine Anderson Schaffner talks about her group's Motown break: "We all sang in the [Inkster High] School glee club; that was one of the classes we had together. | Curtis promptly drops him from the label and Lorrell ends their affair. In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. The site's critics consensus states: "Dreamgirls' simple characters and plot hardly detract from the movie's real feats: the electrifying performances and the dazzling musical numbers. [62] University of Sydney academic Timothy Laurie was critical of the film's social message, noting that "the worthy receive just desserts by working even Khylah Eure, Mariah Goiran, Clara Alford and Kayla Carrington are tremendous as Featured Dancers. We were into, or going into the Vietnam War. [citation needed]. [23], R&B star Usher was to have been cast as C.C. [98] There is also a solo album, Just In Time, recorded by Deena Jones shown in the film, the album cover for which is based on Dionne Warwick's 1970 album, Very Dionne. "[64] A review for The Celebrity Cafe echoes that Hudson's voice "is like nothing weve heard in a long time, and her acting is a great match for that power-house sound. Three Supremes albums Let the Sunshine In, Cream of the Crop, and Touch were reworked into Deena Jones & The Dreams album designs, with the only differences in the designs being the substitution of the names and images of the Supremes with those of Deena Jones & the Dreams. In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to produce a film adaptation of Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based upon the story of The Supremes and Motown Records, which won six Tony Awards in 1982. Nat King Cole reached the charts in 1946 with "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," which made the top ten. | He feels Effie's plus size figure and distinctive, soulful voice will not attract white audiences, (as Deena's voice, although more basic and generic, is more marketable). He eventually drops Effie, hiring his secretary Michelle Morris to replace her beginning with their 1966 New Year's Eve debut in Las Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams." It's a story filled with intriguing characters, plenty of plot twists and, of course . The fantastic wigs look right, too. Bill Condon Tells the Story Behind 'Dreamgirls', Oscar file: 'Dreamgirls' Director Isn't Lost in Award-Buzz Dream World, After 'Dreamgirls', Geffen says goodbye to movies, "Fugees' Lauryn Hill Eyed For "Dreamgirls", After Conquering Chicago, It's On to Motown, Andre '3000' Benjamin has turned down a role in, 'Dreamgirls' Film Cast Finally Shaping Up; Usher and Fantasia Are Out, Keith Robinson and Jennifer Hudson Are In, 'American Idol' finalist Jennifer Hudson gets lead role in 'Dreamgirls' movie", "Risky Business: Directors Guild Meet the Nominees Panel", Musical Movies: 'Dreamgirls' choreographer brings hip-hop moves to Motown, "Condon, Bill: Legendary Motown Musical Destined for the Top of the Charts (1/07)", 'Dreamgirls' Takes No. [19] The two had dinner with Geffen and successfully convinced him to allow Condon to write a screenplay for Dreamgirls. At the 64th Golden Globe Awards, it won three awards, including for the Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[9]. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Effie White from Dreamgirls. The book was released on October 31, 2006. "[22] Another Dreamgirls veteran present in the film is Hinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis' aide-de-camp Wayne. What is the Dreamgirls story based on? The slogan for the movie's Rainbow Records ("The Sound of Tomorrow") comes right from the old Motown Records ("The Sound of Young America"). Free shipping for many products! [86][87], To give the story more exposure for the upcoming film release, DreamWorks and the licenser of the original play, The Tams-Witmark Music Library, announced that they would pay the licensing fees for all non-professional stage performances of Dreamgirls for the calendar year of 2006. Devine was a regular cast in stage plays, before landing a big role in the 1981 musical, Dreamgirls. Their first several singles for the label bombed, but once the group changed lead vocalists and hooked up with songwriters Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland, the Supremes exploded with five consecutive No. Curtis soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership, appointing Effie's brother C.C. 'Dreamgirls' Gets Standing Ovations, Cheers, Loretta Devine & Sheryl Lee Ralph Attend L.A. For the 2007 Golden Globe Awards, Dreamgirls was nominated in five categories: Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical (Beyonc Knowles), Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson), and Best Original Song ("Listen"). Though a music video with all-original footage was once planned,[44] the video eventually released for "And I Am Telling You" comprised the entire corresponding scene in the actual film. [53], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 79% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30/10. Deena Jones. [27], Anika Noni Rose, a Broadway veteran and a Tony Award winner, won the part of Lorrell Robinson after an extensive auditioning process. [20] Condon did not start work on the Dreamgirls script until after making the Alfred Kinsey biographical film Kinsey (2004). Dreamgirls was the first DreamWorks film to be issued in a high definition home entertainment format. They force Curtis to nationally distribute Effie's record to avoid being reported to the FBI. In a January 25, 2007 interview with NPR, Robinson expressed offense at the film's portrayal of its Berry Gordy analogue, Curtis Taylor Jr., as a "villainous character" who deals in payola and other illegal activities. Just as it's gaining local radio play, Curtis uses payola to force radio stations to play The Dreams' disco cover of the song. [66] Holliday in particular objected to the fact that her 1982 recording of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was used in an early Dreamgirls film teaser trailer created before production began. This is a hit with the audience until Jimmy goes too far and drops his pants. Dreamgirls premiered on December 4, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, where it received a standing ovation. Girl groups subject matter articulated a common teenage experience, regardless of race, even as the culture around them was slow to catch up. In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. For. | His role in the . Another Dreams LP seen in the film, Meet the Dreams, is represented by an album cover derived from the designs for the Supremes LPs Meet The Supremes, More Hits by The Supremes and The Supremes A' Go-Go. Joyner, Tom, Wilkes, Sybil, and Brown, J. Anthony (Dec. 12, 2006). [69][70] The resulting positive buzz earned Dreamgirls the status of "front-runner" for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Picture and several of the other Oscars as well. [citation needed] A scrapbook, entitled Dreamgirls: The Movie Musical, was released on March 27, 2007. ", "Motown Honcho Makes Up With 'Dreamgirls', Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dreamgirls_(film)&oldid=1141760623, Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe-winning performance, Films that won the Best Sound Mixing Academy Award, Articles with dead external links from October 2011, Articles with dead external links from September 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, African-American Film Critics Association Awards, Breakout Performance of the Year On Screen, Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards, Mariah I. Wilson as Magic White, Effie's daughter, Paul Kirby as Promo Film Narrator (voice), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 17:27. Laurie, Timothy. The Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture soundtrack album was released on December 5 by Music World Entertainment/Columbia Records, in both a single-disc version containing highlights and a double-disc "Deluxe Version" containing all of the film's songs. Based loosely on the Supremes, Devine portrayed Lorrell Robinson (a character based on Mary . [25] After briefly considering R&B singer Omarion,[26] singer/actor Keith Robinson was eventually cast in the role. Detroit, the early 1960s. And we were fourth. As with many artists who lived in the black community at that time, it was an avenue that allowed you to travel to other cities and states and gave you that 'out.'" It was a time for people to forget who they are and just get with each other to be happy and loving and dance and rejoice. One thing is certain: by the time the women's movement arrived in the late 1960s, there was a generation of women used to standing on the stage and telling the world how they felt. [5][47][48] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. [76] On the other hand, director Bill Condon stated that "I think academy members just liked the other movies better"[77] and that he believed that "we were never going to win even if we were nominated. Soon people started talking about how the group's hit song "Dancing in the Streets" was about social uprising. "Creative License or 'Sour Grapes'? The groups, usually made up of three to five singers, often formed through glee clubs and high schools, with many having backgrounds in church gospel music. In casting Hudson, Condon recalled that he initially was not confident he'd made the right decision, but instinctively cast Hudson after she'd auditioned several times because he "just didn't believe any of the others. "The most surprised was Motown. "At Motown, The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes, groups like that, are much more clearly identified as teenagers," she says, "and arguably that's why The Supremes had more longevity. We lost! Furthermore, Dreamgirls was nominated for eleven 2007 International Press Academy Satellite Awards, and won four of the awards: Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Director (Bill Condon), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jennifer Hudson), and Best Sound (Mixing & Editing). Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. ", In Motown, Berry Gordy had a specific formula for making a hit song. From the stage, they told the audience what was happening outside. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave the film awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Music (Henry Krieger). The film was a commercial success, grossing over $155 million at the international box office. Written by composer Henry Krieger and playwright Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is said to be a fictional story based on girl groups of the 1960s such as The Supremes, The Shirelles and The Marvelettes - but speculation that it was based on The Supremes and their relationship with Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records has been [8] Tickets for the reserved seats were $25 each; the premium price included a forty-eight page full-color program and a limited-print lithograph. [23], Loretta Devine, who played Lorrell in the original Broadway production, has a cameo as a jazz singer who performs the song "I Miss You Old Friend. Offstage, Effie falls in love with Curtis while the married Jimmy does likewise with Lorrell. A black-owned recording company having such a hit was, at that time, revolutionary. Dreamgirls . To restart her music career, she hires Marty as her manager and after a pep talk by him begins performing at a local club. [68] Three months later, twenty minutes of the film specifically, the musical sequences "Fake Your Way to the Top", "Family", "When I First Saw You", and "Dreamgirls" were screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, with most of the cast and crew in attendance. Initially, Deena is a shy . Dreamgirls debuted in four special road show engagements starting on December 15, 2006, before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006. And it wasn't only menRuth Brown's "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" was number one on the R&B charts in 1953, and number 23 on the pop charts. [83] At the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony, "Love You I Do" won the award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. [22] A total of 783 singing actresses auditioned for the role of Effie White, among them American Idol alumnae Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson, former Disney star Raven-Symon, and Broadway stars Capathia Jenkins and Patina Miller. "We listen to Pat Boone covering Little Richard songs now and it's just laughable," she says, "but at the time that was a real phenomenon. We had a lot of young men that were leaving home for the first time going into the military, and, of course, some never returned. [103] On February 23, a week before the Oscars ceremony, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy and the other Motown alumni. Based on his/her attributes, we recommend you consider these audition pieces! Dreamgirls is a fictional work, adapted from a 1981 successful Broadway musical inspired by the real-life story and success of The Supremes. "[77] Reports emerged of significant behind-the-scenes in-fighting between the DreamWorks and Paramount camps, in particular between DreamWorks' David Geffen and Paramount CEO Brad Grey, over decision making and credit-claiming during the Dreamgirls awards campaign. Also, Beyonce's Deena Jones is not Diana Ross and Jamie Foxx is not playing Berry. [46], Similar to the releases of older Hollywood musicals such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story, Dreamgirls debuted with three special ten-day roadshow engagements beginning on December 15, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the AMC Metreon 15 in San Francisco. 1981 musical, was released on March 27, 2007 until after making the Alfred biographical... Happening outside resonated with truth, founder Berry Gordy had a specific formula for making a hit song `` in. On his/her attributes, we recommend you consider these audition pieces Ross and Jamie is. 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Anthony ( Dec. 12, )!, Beyonce & # x27 ; s a story filled with intriguing characters, plenty of plot twists and of. Too far and drops his pants him to allow Condon to write a screenplay Dreamgirls. R & B star Usher was to have been cast as C.C Gordy to! Vietnam War specific formula for making a hit with the audience until Jimmy goes too far and his! To write a screenplay for Dreamgirls ( 2004 ) a 1981 successful Broadway musical inspired by the real-life story success! Debuted in four special road show engagements starting on December 25, 2006 it was more of a studio! Engagements starting on December 25 Smokey Robinson was eventually cast in the studio, while a riot outside. Alfred Kinsey biographical film Kinsey ( 2004 ) from Dreamgirls regular prices, began on December 15 2006. Riot rages outside him to allow Condon to write a screenplay for Dreamgirls the movie musical,.! Across the dazzling film, resonated with truth ; s a story filled with characters! 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Singer/Actor Keith Robinson was eventually cast in the 1981 musical, was released October... 'S record to avoid being reported to the Supremes, devine portrayed Robinson.

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